Force Sight
by darthspock
Summary: The Male Exile journeys in the fight to find the Jedi Masters so he can stop the Sith, but amid unnecessary distractions, Pazaak, notsowise advice, women, and his own self, he slowly begins to realize what he's really dealing with. FINISHED
1. Arrival at Dantooine

"Go!" Mira shouted at Atton as she saw Seth, Mandalore, and Bao-Dur return from G0-T0's ship. The ship itself was going to explode if Atton didn't get them out of there fast. "Hurry up!"

_Who the hell does this woman think she is to order me around when she's barely been here! Besides, _she's_ after Seth in the first place_, Atton thought irritably. "Maybe _you_ should drive this thing since you seem to be omniscient," he snapped. _Women…_ Atton didn't even understand them himself. From day one when he was born, he was convinced he was for Pazaak, Juma Juice, and ogling Twi'lek dancers in cantinas. He never laid eyes on anyone who would make him want to do something crazy—and he was convinced the current entourage was no exception.

The Handmaiden who didn't even had a name snuck on the Ebon Hawk just after leaving Telos. She gave them some fabricated lie about seeing the Exile for herself. "He has a name," Atton remembered saying. That's what really annoyed Atton: everyone called Seth "the Exile" as if he was some kind of inanimate object rather than a human being.

Mira was the strange red-haired bounty hunter that had tagged along. She had some nerve to even come along and claim to the storage room for herself. She was hunting Seth, and _she_ was just a bounty hunter—scum hired for a mere 5 credits to end a life so they could get the bills paid. A cold blooded killer at your doorstep was something Atton never wanted to experience, but here was one in the flesh.

Atton steered the Hawk away from the explosion and turned on autopilot. _Although it's boring, Dantooine should be pretty peaceful_, he thought. _I've had about enough of Nar Shadda for a few days—or weeks. _He set in the coordinates and stood up when he set the Ebon Hawk into hyperspace.

Atton walked out into the main hold to hear Mira talking. "I can't believe we just blew up Goto's yacht!" she exclaimed rather surprised. Atton gave her a quizzical look. "Crime in this system was like the economy. Even if Vogga gets his freighters back running, this will affect years to come," she told Atton's face. "This will corrupt every single crime operation around!" He looked at her with a blank stare. "Then you won't mind if I hold back the tears?" he said unscathed by anything that had just happened.

"Hang on," Seth interjected. _Why do Atton always have to fight_? "Shut up both of you." He turned to Atton. "Where are we going next?" "Dantooine," he said simply. "Rolling fields of grass _must_ be better for me that exploding yachts and crazy bounty hunters." He flashed a glance at Mira. "At least we found Master Zez-Kai Ell. After this, we still have to go to Korriban and then I'm guessing we'll receive Kex's transmission from the Queen so we can go back to Dxun and Onderon," Seth said, trying to be an optimist. _They will never stop this arguing, will they_?

The three turned suddenly at the sound of a droid floating in. A droid like the ones on the yacht came into view. "What the hell are you doing here?" Atton asked the droid. "I present a gift to you," the droid said. "This is absolutely insane!" Seth said. _A _gift_ from a guy who tried to kill me? No thanks_. "Let's scrap it. Maybe there's some useful parts Bao can use." "I wouldn't do that," the droid, G0-T0, said. "You see, if scrapped or disabled, the self-destruct mechanism is triggered and there will be a new sun in the area." Seth sighed. _So I'm stuck with this thing? Maybe we can dump it out the loading ramp_, he thought.

Beeping came from consoles in the cockpit. Atton automatically got up and left to go see what was going on without Mira or Seth commenting. He disappeared along the hallway.

"So why _are_ you here?" Seth asked. Mira shrugged. "You're just business," she said plainly, as if it was obvious. "S_uuu_re," Seth said. "Look," Mira said, getting defensive, "you're my bounty and I'm stuck here, got it?" He laughed. "_I'm_ your bounty? Who's the one with the lightsaber?" he asked. "What are you without it?" she challenged. "Or the Force? What are you without the Jedi priceless items?" Seth shrugged. "What I was before," he said bluntly. "A Jedi without the Force is like…is like Nar Shadda without the crime," Mira said. "Then I guess Nar Shadda is like me," Seth said. Mira scratched her head; Seth looked at her. "I don't have time for this," he said and walked towards the cockpit.

"Hey Atton," he shouted, "when will we reach Dantooine?" "A few hours at least," Atton yelled back. Seth looked at Mira who was standing and giving him quizzical looks. He looked away and walked out of the main hold to Kreia's dormitory. _Who cares if she's a bit crazy_, he thought. _And she answers questions or yells at _me

He reached the dormitory to find her meditating. _Is this all she does_? "I need to center myself, _Exile_," she said, strangely stressing the word "exile". He stared at her blankly. _She's reading my thoughts_! "I've got a name," he said. There were a few moments of silence between them for a few seconds before Kreia got up. "Why do you insist upon the growth of crew members?" she asked. "How many more will step onto this ship untouched?" "_They_ invite themselves," Seth explained. "The bounty hunter? Self invitation. That strange droid? Self invitation. Do you think _I_ want more?"

"You lie," Kreia said. "You enjoy the idea of the crew growing, especially with females. But you must not set your sights on them now; you must focus on the task at hand." "What the hell are you talking about?" Seth objected. "This is crazy." She stared at him blankly. _I haven't got my sights on _you He thought, knowing she was listening to them. _Your face looks like it was stepped on by a herd of bantha—there are more creases on your face than there are on a messy Jedi robe_! She grinned a somewhat evil grin at him. "At the very least you have your excuses sorted out, young one," she told him wryly.

Cursing her under his breath, he walked out of the dormitory. _Why is she against me too_? He thought. _Before, she was talking my ear off but now she's whining about everything I do and everyone here. Hell, she complains more than Atton_!

Seth walked out of the dormitory and past the cargo hold where the Handmaiden was kicking and hitting the air. Seth stood silently in the doorway and watched her concentrate on the invisible enemies. _At least she has more dignity than Mira_, Seth thought. The way she fought the air fascinated Seth, and he wondered how she could do that.

He walked into the cargo hold. "What are you doing?" he said. Startled, she twitched and stood to face him immediately. "Practicing," she said plainly. "What are you practicing?" he asked. "Echani fighting movements," she said. He watched her for a half a second before saying, "Can you teach me any?"

"I need to see you in battle first to know you," she said. "I can teach you the first tier. You must predict your enemies' movements; you must know where they are going to strike. We can train if you'd like, but it is without the Force or the use of a ranged or melee weapon of any kind." "I'd like that," Seth said, taking a few steps into the cargo hold. "I need to improve on hand-to-hand combat anyways." She nodded. "Alright," she said as she walked over to the doorway and closed the door.

He stared at her. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Privacy," she said like she was too lazy to say an entire sentence. "Privacy for what? We're just sparring," Seth said. "Among the Echani," the Handmaiden explained, "it is customary to spar without anything—swords, the Force, blasters." She paused, as if to add effect or because she was embarrassed. "Or armor." Seth looked at her quizzically with wide eyes. "No armor?" he said bewildered. After a few awkward seconds, he shrugged. "I've got some normal clothes underneath my bed," he said as he went for the door. _Somehow, I can't believe this_, he thought.

"Then I cannot teach you," she said. "Vanity is something you must give up for these lessons." She stared at him. _Either she wants to teach me and follow the rules or just see me half naked_, he thought. He turned around and messily untied his Jedi robes. _Get this over with quickly_, he thought. He untied the belt and threw the robes on the floor in one big pile and kicked them to the side so they would be out of his way. She had taken off her clothes too and folded them neatly. _Must she outdo me in discarding clothing, also_? He thought.

She was wearing barely anything and Seth felt slightly uncomfortable. He didn't want to stare at her.

_He's not doing anything_, the Handmaiden thought. _He's just here…You've finally gotten him here and he's doing nothing! Teach him!_ "Look at me," she commanded. "Bow." She bowed to him, and he to her.

_This is way too awkward_, Seth thought. "On my command," she said, "we start." Seth nodded as he got into a ready stance. "Ready?" she said, getting into another ready stance. "Start."

Seth lightened his blows so he wouldn't hurt her. _She's too beautiful to hurt_, he thought. "Why are you going lightly?" the Handmaiden asked as they were fighting. She hit him—hard. "Act like I am the enemy."

At this invitation, Seth hardened his blows. "You are not fighting like I am the enemy," she said. "I cannot train you more until I know how you are in battle. I must observe and fight you myself." He gave a serious face and nodded, now swinging his fists and blocking madly.

He threw blows at her as hard as he could since she wanted him to. _And if she gets hurt she better not cry to me_, he thought. _She seems like a tough warrior_. His self-consciousness was wearing off just a bit, but still was at the realization he was fighting in his underwear.

As he was moving his hands and concentrating, she suddenly hit him in the side pretty hard. Trying not to show that it had hurt more than he expected, he put up more of an effort not to be beaten by a servant girl of Atris.

"When we're done," Seth said, "I want to talk to you about Atris." _Why would he want to know about her_? The Handmaiden wondered; she parried his moves and bit and tried to deliver final blows but he kept on evading and blocking her attempts.

Exhaustion eventually came to her, but it didn't seem to come to him. _Does he tire at all_? Her punches and kicks became less frequent and hard after about a half an hour of sparring. She finally fell to the floor after exhaustion took its toll on her; she didn't sleep well these nights so that was her excuse.

After a few seconds of eye contact, he held out his hand. "Good," she said. "Come tomorrow." She was speaking again as if she was too lazy to use sentences or explain anything. Seth nodded at this, threw on his robes, and scratched his short, dark hair. "Alright," he said. "Tomorrow then."

Seth walked over to the keypad to open the door and pressed the button to trigger it. The Handmaiden looked like she could've pinned him to the floor either for a rematch because her honor and ego had been affected by defeat or to start kissing him. There was this hunger, this eagerness, in her eyes that haunted Seth a bit. The woman herself was a bit scary—her strange haircut scared him a bit as well as her nature. She was a bit taciturn and serious at times, deep and through provoking, but still a bit boring and exciting at the same time. He'd learned that her father had been with someone else and that was her mother. She was the tainted member of the sisters, and Seth pitied her for this. She'd told him of her mother just a bit, and her mother's old Jedi robes were on her meaning she had a little pride in her background.

He stopped in the doorway to take one last look at her and waved so it wouldn't look suspicious. The Handmaiden watched him leave. _We're going to Dantooine, _ she thought. _We've already been to Onderon and the Mandalorians will send a message for us when Queen Talia tries to contact us. Nar Shadda—a place I never want to travel to ever again, especially if all of those bounty hunters are like that redhead. We've still got to go to Korriban and Dantooine. Hopefully this will be over soon so I can return to Atris and my sisters_.

The amusement of counting the ticks in the power couplings was wearing off on Atton. _Time to get something to eat_, he decided as he got up out of the slouching position he was in as he sat in the surveillance room's chair. He stood up, stretched, and opened the door to the main hold. Atton walked the short distance to the cargo hold and stopped to see the Handmaiden practicing those Echani tiers again.

"Don't mind me," he said as he worked his way around her to get some strangely wrapped food out of a compartment. She didn't respond but just kept on getting in the stances. "Hey," he said, "don't think the ship doesn't know about you sparring with our ex-Jedi friend." He cast her a wry smile. "That is a training session," she said as she faced him. "And it's none of your business anyways." He shrugged and shuffled through packets of food. "Oh, I'm just here to tell you this isn't some kind of pleasure yacht," he said, "so just lay off." "What?" she asked. "You like him?" Atton gave dry laughter. "Hah, that's real funny. How many years of meditation it take you to think _that_ one up?" He took a few steps. "He's got enough to deal with—and this schutta from Nar Shadda doesn't exactly lighten his load," he added. "You know the first tier," the Handmaiden asked, "don't you?"

"Maybe I do," Atton said, turning right in his tracks to face her. "Maybe I don't." "Why don't we duel?" she asked. "With _you_?" he asked, obviously shocked or insulted by the inquiry. "No thanks. Hey, I know the rules and regulations." He looked grimly at her. "_Including_ the dress code." "It's Echani tradition," she corrected, "_not_ a dress code." "Same thing," Atton said, opening up a package of nuts from Tatooine. "Besides, if you want your clothes to come off, just go play some Pazaak—Nar Shadda style though." "Is that _all_ you think about?" she said angrily. "Don't you realize that there's more going on here than your stupid Pazaak?" This comment hit what home Atton had. "_Hey_," he said defensively, "at least _I_ know how to play. I'm sure you locked up in that glacier have no idea what the hell Pazaak is." She cast him a scowl. On the verge of victory, Atton polished the argument: "Just lay off the sparring, alright? Oh, and make sure to give the other sisters my regards," he said. He took a few steps before adding, "Next time I'm coming in here I'm bringing a blaster." He walked a bit off. "Fool," she said. "Schutta!" Atton shouted back at her, saying that he wasn't deaf.

Seth was meditating in the empty dormitory opposite Kreia's when he felt a gentle thud. _We've landed_, he thought as he stood up and walked into the main hold. "We've landed," he heard Atton say. The entourage looked up as Seth entered. "Good," Atton said. "You're here." Seth nodded and walked forward.

"We're looking for Master Vrook here," Seth started. "I'm going to go check out the situation." The Handmaiden lit up at this statement. _You mustn't let him go alone,_ she thought. _Learn from him if anything…_ "I will accompany you," she spoke up. Atton cast her a glance. "I need to see these worlds for myself." She paused, searching for another excuse. "And so I can learn about them and share the knowledge with my sisters." Atton looked at her. "If you're going to lie," he said, "then do it right."

She glared at him. "I suppose you're the expert, aren't you?" she snapped. "Well, maybe," he said, "but at least _I_ know how to lure a girl away without lying." The Handmaiden had a violent look in her eye. "_Enough_!" Kreia shouted. Atton stopped and glared at her.

"Enough of this foolishness," she said. "You, _fool_, will offer what little advice you have left in you when the time is right. Return to your silly cards and lifeless thoughts." She turned to the Handmaiden. "Accompany him if you wish, just be aware…I am watching." _What's her problem_? Seth thought as he beckoned for the Handmaiden to come with him. The two exited the ship; Seth noticed Atton watch them from the cockpit and make a face at the Handmaiden's back. This caused him to chuckle a bit, but stop when he saw the scenery.

There were beautiful rolling hills of grass and large bluffs and a stream that flowed quaintly nearby. The stream added a kind of background music that would be found only in the traveling holovids; it was sunset and looked like it belonged on a postcard. There was a small structure standing tall against the scenery. "Let's start there," he said, not heeding the mechanic or Ithorian salesperson or broken protocol droid on the landing pad.

The Handmaiden watched Seth's robes sway as he walked. _His stance is even Jedi_, she thought, _even though he is an exile_. His pace quickened once they were about twenty meters from the building. A woman approached them. "Hello," she said. "Welcome to Khoonda." She went on to explain its history and how this used to be the Matale house. She told the two of small and short history of Khoonda.

Seth nodded and said a quiet, "Thank you" when she was finished. After the greeter left them, he said to the Handmaiden, "Let's walk a little more and then go inside Khoonda." She knew not to argue, and she wanted to see the beautiful scenery. _This is certainly a peaceful and pastoral place_, she thought, observing the landscape.

As Seth and the Handmaiden approached a curve in the road, they saw some scrawny looking men coming towards them. "Don't bother headin' out to the enclave," one called. "It's been picked clean."

After the past, the Handmaiden said, "Salvagers." She looked at their departing bodies. "They pick off all the history that poor enclave has left in it, and the ones trying to preserve its history are having a hard time suppressing those salvagers, even though they're just trying to make a few credits to keep themselves alive." She looked at Seth; he was looking in the direction of the enclave with heavy eyes. "Don't you think?" she asked. He ignored the question or didn't know what she was asking about. He started walking, silently, the usual glimpse of happiness in his eye gone.

_Something is troubling him_, she thought as she watched his robe sway; he was walking differently. They rounded the corner and saw a salvager's camp with a few more scruffy looking guys and a woman who looked masculine—she was wearing big armor and carrying a large blaster. She stared the Handmaiden down with grim eyes that seemed to envy her youth, beauty, and clothing.

Seth and the Handmaiden proceeded a few more steps. She gasp, he stared. The enclave had collapsed so that most of it was crumbling on the ground. _Maybe he felt an attachment to the enclave_? She asked herself as Seth walked forwards and bit to a place where a large stone stood. To the left were dirty kath hounds and on the right was a woman and even more scrawny men were walking with blasters.

"Where's Jorran?" the woman barked at her crew. "Huh?" they said. "_He's_ the one with the loot and he gets stuck…hopefully the laigreks didn't get at him." She noticed the Handmaiden and Seth looking at her. "What? You're going to go salvaging? _Don't_ waste your time. If you don't find anything, the laigreks will most defiantly find you." "Why would I want to salvage things from an old Jedi enclave?" Seth asked. "For _credits_," the woman said. "Damn it, why can't Jorran keep up!" She surveyed her men. "Who's going back for him?" They shook their heads and said, "Not me", "Someone else", "I'm no better than Jorran", and other excuses so they wouldn't get killed by the laigreks. The woman shook her head and gave a disappointed, exhausted, and frustrated sigh. "Go back to the camp," she said. Turning to the Handmaiden and Seth, she spoke again, "And don't bother going in there. Besides, you need clearance from the administrator and she's back in Khoonda!" With that, she led her men back to the camp.

The Handmaiden stared at the locked door. Seth turned to her, and she already knew what he was going to say. "We need to get clearance," he said, stating the obvious. Shrugging, he added, "Besides, where else would a Jedi hide if not in an old Jedi academy itself?"

* * *

Author's Note: Since I breifly skimmed descritions of the fanfics for KotOR, I noticed there weren't many—or any at all—fanfics about the male exile. So, I've decided to take matters into my own hands (uh oh!) and write my own. I would like feedback on how this chapter has turned out so far so I know I'm not going down the tubes with this. 


	2. The Defense of Khoonda

_I wish he would hurry up_, the Handmaiden thought. _These laigreks are beginning to get to me_. She and Seth were leaning up against the wall a few rooms away from hordes of laigreks guarding one specific door. Atton was taking forever. He was cloaked with a stealth field generator since he was the only one on the ship with actual talent using one. _I wonder why he's so talented_, the Handmaiden thought cynically. He'd been laying mines for awhile, and hadn't come back.

She signed, and sank down to sit on the floor; Seth was busy studying the walls as if there was an inscription on them. He blinked a few times when dust would occasionally come on his head and brush it off.

All of a sudden Atton appeared out of nowhere. "I hope you're happy," he said. The Handmaiden cringed: he was covered in laigreks guts, just as her vibroblades were. "I'm going back to the ship," he said. "I'll sent Bao-Dur, okay?" He made for the pathway to the exit. Seth looked up from the wall. "Just be careful," he said. "You don't know what rogue salvagers want from us or if anybody's down here." Atton gave a blank faced nod as he ran for the exit.

After he left, Seth said, "We won't need to wait for Bao-Dur. He's smart enough not to come or just to find us on our own. These damn laigreks are everywhere…and luckily we've taken out a lot of 'em. Just keep your vibroblades ready just in case any slip by the mines." The Handmaiden nodded. Seth proceeded forward and went up to the laigrek-infested hallway. He knocked on the wall with the hilt of his single bladed blue lightsaber. The laigreks looked up hungrily and ran forward through the rows of mines Atton had laid. The mines blew and most of the laigreks fell except for about three.

"Brace yourself," he warned, glancing at the Handmaiden who looked afraid of either getting killed or getting dirty like Atton. She put her vibroblades in a ready position and awaited the first attack. She slaughtered it and its innards spilled everywhere—on the floor, on the swords, and on her. Seth took on two and cut them down with a single slash of the lightsaber. A bit of laigrek was on him, but she was covered in it.

_It is just part of nature_, she reassured herself, not knowing if that helped at all because many things are apart of nature. Noticing her clothing, Seth took off the cloak of his robes and gave it to her. "Temporary protection," he said grinning. She returned the smile and took it eagerly.

Seth looked at the door and walked toward it. The Handmaiden followed, fastening the cloak over her. He opened the door and expected to find the room empty or maybe a few bodies and stray laigreks. But somehow there was a blonde man standing in the center of the room as if he was expecting them with armor clad bodies behind them. Seth guessed they were the bounty hunters all the militia spoke of.

He stepped forward into the room. "Uh," he said, not knowing how to greet this lone survivor. But the blonde man bowed to Seth. Seth's eyes grew wide. _He just bowed to a _man_! Is this natural? Respectful? Or just plan strange_? He thought.

"Perhaps introductions first," the blonde said nervously. "I am Mical, a researcher for the Republic. May I ask what you are doing here among the laigreks and salvagers? You apparently don't appear to be one since you carry a lightsaber." His eyes lit up. "Are—are you a _Jedi_?" he asked excitedly. _Oh no,_ Seth thought. He nodded. "And," he said, stopping Mical before he could speak, "I'm here because I'm looking for a lost Jedi Master…"

* * *

_Oh come_ on_, this can't be that long_! Seth thought as he slouched in a chair in the waiting area. He needed to speak to the administrator but she "was busy" like all administrators are. He'd been waiting at least a half an hour. The Handmaiden still hadn't returned from getting some clothes from the shop and she'd left at the same time he'd sat down.

_Women and their vanity_, Seth thought. _How can she spend so much time on herself when she just goes and gets messed up battling anyways_? Stopping at this thought, he got up and went to the shop. A Rodian owned it and he said he was here when the attack happened. Seth doubted this because his speech was a bit slurred, but overall thought the shop to be alright.

The Handmaiden was no where in sight. "Was a white haired girl just in here?" he asked the Rodian. "She just left," he said. "She said something that to tell man with dark hair she was going back to the ship." Seth rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he said as he exited.

_Why can't she just stay in one place_? He strolled through the grass back to the landing pad. Even though it was a short distance, he enjoyed it: the grass was a little bit below his knees and it smelled like plants; the bluffs and the sun were beautiful. He walked onto the concrete landing pad and proceeded up the loading ramp.

When he reached the ship, he got a strange feeling as he stood there. Something seemed wrong or something was out of place. A quizzical look on his face, he went to check out the empty dormitory which seemed to be the likely hiding place.

Expecting to find it empty, he jumped with he saw a woman clad in armor wearing a red head thing. "What the hell!" he said involuntarily and a bit loud. She stood up instantly and drew her lightsaber which made Seth's eyes bulge a bit in surprise as they did when Mical bowed to him. _She's—she's a Jedi_! His mind exclaimed. He reflexively reached for his own and drew it.

She swung at him. _What is she doing_? "Who are you?" he asked as she swung again. Her movements were streamlined; it looked like she trained. "What the hell do you want?" he shouted at her, just in case she didn't hear or understand. He talked in all the alien dialects he knew and she didn't respond.

He instinctively ran to the garage where Bao-Dur could at least aid him, except Bao-Dur wasn't there and Seth was getting a bit annoyed.   
"What the hell do you want?" he shouted again._ Is everyone on this ship deaf_? He pulled out his blaster as she ran towards him. She took the shots and kept running to him. _Is she invulnerable_? "Why are you here!" _Is she a mute_?

He threw down the blaster, figuring out it wasn't her weakness. He took out his lightsaber and parried her moves. _How can she see with that veil thing on her head_?

In a flick of his wrist, he cut her lightsaber hilt in two. She dropped it to the floor and got on her knees. She spoke for the first time—her voice was smooth. "My lightsaber," she said, stating the obvious, "…you broke it." She looked downwards. "Please…end this…end this…" She mumbled something Seth didn't hear. "What?" he asked. She collapsed on the floor. He felt her neck—her heart was still beating. "_Hey_! Are you people deaf!" Seth shouted, hoping to signal someone to help him the medlab. He wasn't fully trained, but knew he could at least get her there.

_You're going to carry her_? He looked at the crumbled red figure on the floor. Her full, red lips were open a bit and she was silent, still. He shook his head and gently picked her up. She was light and limp.

Seth shuffled quickly to the medlab and dumped her on the bed and performed some basic diagnostics. As they were running, he stepped out to find the group not in the main hold. At this, he walked forward to the communications room: the door was shut. He didn't bother going in since he heard Mandalore's metallic voice coming from behind the door. Mandalore always acted crazy when interrupted.

He walked past the door and into the cockpit to find Atton asleep. "Hey," he said a bit frustrated. "We got security problems or are breeches normal from where you come from?" Atton was half awake but woke up to get defensive. "Hey," he said angrily. "Talk to that metal guy in there. _He's_ occupying the security terminals and communication channels all the time when you're gone." He stared at the consoles. "And why am I always on the defense?" Seth shrugged. "We've got company—or we had company," Seth said. "Besides, I need help and an incapable one like yourself fits the job perfectly." Atton got up. "What I'm here for," he said as he followed Seth out of the cockpit.

"I'll be damned…" he breathed as he laid eyes upon the girl. "It's a Miraluka." "What?" Seth asked. "You don't know what a Miraluka is? Hell, I'm surprised you know what women are by the way you are so clued into the galaxy," Atton said as he moved over to the other side of the bed where all the consoles were and began working one.

"What?" Seth said again. "Where do they come from?" "Well," Atton began, still working on the console, "if you want the simple version, here you go: the Miraluka people are some kind of race that are blind and they use the Force to see. They come from Katarr. Planet was annihilated, like all those other ones from this war. So anyways, her species was supposed to be dead but she's the remainder. I'm guessing she's a lone survivor. What'd she attack you with?"

"Red saber," Seth said calmly. Atton looked at him. "A _red_ saber?" he said. "We've got to either get out of here or just kill her where she stands—or well, where she _lies_ if you want to get technical about it." Seth gave him a quizzical look. "She's a _Sith_," Atton said. "And the last time I checked _they_ are hunting us."

"Always with the details, aren't you?" Seth said as he looked at the veiled Miraluka. "She must feel so alone," he mused. "You know, being the last one of her race and all." Atton gave him a confused look. "Oh so now you're going to be her best friend?" he said. "Go right ahead. But when she pulls the sneak attack, don't cry for me. I'll be in the cockpit, driving this piece of junk—or on Nar Shadda."

Seth shrugged. "Uh, yeah. Where did everyone go?" he asked. "Around. Khoonda I think," Atton said. "Bored or something. Oh but not Atton—he gets to babysit the ship, a crazy old witch, and man made out of metal. Anyways, if you're looking for them, just go out and check Khoonda or the hills or something."

_What are you doing here_? Mira thought as she sat in the grass, pulling up strands of it in anger. _Why didn't you just stay on Nar Shadda_? She got up and began to walk forward a bit.

She'd gone off over some rocks by a camp full of what appeared to be mercenaries. She walked off through some strange shaped standing rocks and had arrived at a strange looking hill with a stone entrance.

The stone door looked misplaced, and sealed. It was sealed with the strongest stuff and even some top grade explosives would have trouble entering through it. Mira briefly touched the stone, expecting it to be cold.

Instead, a wave of electricity and heat sailed through her arm. Jumping back, she rubbed her hand the ease the sudden pain. _Whoever sealed this meant business_. She pulled out her blaster and took a shot at the door; the shot was just soaked up. It would take at least a year of constant blaster shot to get through the door just a bit to see what was inside of it.

She walked briskly away from the structure, afraid of what would happen or might happen if she dawdled around it too long. Once she was about five hundred meters away, she sat back down on the grass and pulled out her blaster. She shot a discolored stone in the side of a bluff. _Perfect shot_, she thought as the watched the stone become a fried little segment against the dirt.

Her mind jumped around—to Goto's yacht and to Seth. _He's just business_, she thought. _Never mix pleasure and business. Besides, it'd never work if _it_ ever came to be_. She sighed and threw a stone off the hill she was perched upon. _Peaceful Dantooine_.

Mira then began to get a craving for some Juma. _Not here—there's no cantina. Honestly, this place is as dead as Telos, but at least there's a cantina there. All that's here is some scrawny salvagers, some militia, one strange looking admin, and some rowdy mercs. What's new? There's basically nothing here except for "serenity"—can see why this place is the perfect spot for a "hidden" Jedi academy. Hell, I bet even the most stubborn were subdued by this "miraculous sunset" and swaying of trees. But Nar Shadda fits me perfectly. It's home_.

In between her musings, she heard footsteps in the long grass behind her. They were at a run. Mira instinctively grabbed for her blaster. "Oh save it," she heard the Handmaiden say. "I've just come to get you." Mira looked up at her. The Handmaiden wasn't wearing her hood, and her bare legs were showing. She was covered in a layer of sweat and was breathing harder. _Out for a run_? She thought. "Out for a run?" Mira asked, repeating her thoughts. The Handmaiden nodded. "It's just so warm here," she said. "It's a lot different from the academy." Mira eyed her confusedly. "The _academy_?" she asked. "Don't tell me you're a Jedi too." The Handmaiden shook her head violently, apparently somewhat offended by Mira's remark. "No," she said. "We've taken an oath not to become a Jedi. The academy's in a polar regions of a…" _Don't give away the location_! Her mind shouted. "…a remote planet."

Mira gave a small shrug. "Hm, okay." She paused for a few seconds. "Why are you here?" "Seth needs us at Khoonda," the Handmaiden explained. "Said he needed help in a firefight. Told me to get you since you're a merc and all." "I am_ not_ a merc," Mira said hotly.

"And bounty hunters are different?" The Handmaiden just looked at her. _She thinks she can stare me down_! Mira got angry now; nobody challenged her title. "Hell yes!" she shouted. "It's like calling you a servant girl who does their master's bidding—whether it be cooking up a human for his dinner or even getting intimate." The Handmaiden glared for a few seconds, but then remembered Seth's wishes. "Just come with me," she said, trying to control her temper. "And _don't_ ever say something like that again—ever." Mira just shrugged. "Same here, sister," she said.

As Mira and the Handmaiden neared Khoonda, they hear blaster shots and the sound of vibroblade against vibroblade. A lone militia who was positioned at a door said, "They're waiting. Hurry, otherwise you'll be too late!"

_Who is "they" and why would we be late_? Mira wondered as she jogged across the grass to the doors into Khoonda.

Once inside, another militia handed Mira a blaster rifle. "Here," he said. "Jedi told me to give it to you." Mira took the rifle and holstered it. The Handmaiden rejected hers. "I have my staff," she said. _And how is that little piece of plastic supposed to stop an army of crazy mercs_? Mira thought to herself, knowing she shouldn't repeat the question aloud.

Mira ran out of the armory and to Seth. "Glad you're here," he said. The rest of the crew was present to help, save Kreia and the droids. _Does that woman ever come to anything? Is she just here to suppress his views and distort his morals_? The Handmaiden thought, glancing at Seth. She threw up her hood; Mira readied her blaster as Atton, Mandalore, and Bao-Dur drew up their swords and Force pikes, and Seth drew his lightsaber as they heard the pounding down of doors.

Then a mercenary with a large scar across his face and a dysfunctional eye started to talk. "I have worked past your militia," he said, "but I am growing tired of this. If you would just step aside, I will deal with the administrator and you will receive your reward. If not, I will be forced to kill my way there."

Seth made an angry face—but it wasn't anger of hatred or revenge; the look appeared to be only described as sober anger that drew itself up from Jedi from the Mandalorian Wars: senseless slaughter. "How shall I let you pass?" he asked. "How can you get by?" He then put up his hand. "You _won't_ go to the administrator. You _will leave_ here in peace."

The leader laughed at this. "You think your Jedi tricks will fall upon me?" he scoffed. "I trained among Malak's flanks and they taught us to avoid petty tricks such as this." Seth stared at him, trying to stare him down.

"My offer is still open, Jedi," he said, his speech had a bit of an accent that nobody could place. Seth still had the angry face as he said, "What _is_ the reward?" The merc took this as a positive response. "Good, now let us work together."

"I didn't accept it," Seth said. "What the reward? Tell me before I cut you down." "Anything you wish for," said the leader of the mercenaries who were getting anxious—they scratched their heads but their blasters, vibroblades, and Force pikes were still held at the ready. "What if I wanted intergalactic domination or Coruscant for my vacation place?" Seth asked. He paused. "You see, you must think before you speak." He drew up his lightsaber and the blue hilt flashed out. "I hoped you were more open to reason, but your death will serve Khoonda well," the mercenary leader said as he drew up his swords.

All at once, the mercenaries began to shoot at the crew aided by Master Vrook. Seth took on the leader while Bao-Dur, Mandalore, Atton, Mira, the Handmaiden, and Vrook took on the smaller groups of mercenaries. There were also some newly repaired sentry droids who were shooting away along with the Khoonda militia and their leader, Zharron.

The sounds of blasters and vibroblades rang throughout Khoonda as well as grunts and lone battle cries.

* * *

It was the end of it. Blood was everywhere, but it was finally over. There was a smell of the dead present in Khoonda outside the administrator's office. Seth was whisked away as soon as the fight was over along with Master Vrook.

Mandalore had walked backed to the ship right away ("To probably polish his armor," Atton had stated) and Bao-Dur went to bathe and return to his ever-present work on the Ebon Hawk.

Mira decided to loiter outside of Adare's office to wait for Seth; the Handmaiden stayed too. Atton had paraded out after Mandalore and Bao-Dur to sleep. _Doesn't he want to bathe_? The Handmaiden wondered. _He hasn't been wearing his jacket and normal clothes. Come to think of it, he's been wearing Jedi robes_. The untold events of Nar Shadda escaped her. _Is _he_ a Jedi? Hard to believe since his idea of a perfect day includes getting drunk off of Juma Juice and gambling at Pazaak._

The residence and regular lackeys that stayed in waiting rooms just because slowly began to trickle back inside as normal, thanking Mira and the Handmaiden for their bravery.

"Thanks," a woman said as she passed them to go to the medical facility. After she left, Mira said, "How do they know that we saved their skins?" It was a rhetorical question, but the Handmaiden answered her anyways. "Because we're covered in mercenary blood," she said blankly as if she wasn't red all over herself. Mira looked at her clothes with disgust on her face. "I mean…there was so many of them, and too much blood," she said. "And I like this jacket!"

The Handmaiden shrugged and sat on the floor. "Why are you here?" she asked Mira. Mira just looked at her. "Shouldn't _I_ be asking you the same question?" she asked. The Handmaiden returned the look. "I guess we both could," the Handmaiden declared simply.

There was a slight pause. "I'm just here because I can't stand the rest of 'em," Mira said. "How so?" the Handmaiden asked, pretending to be interested. _Whatever passes the time_, she thought. "Well," Mira explained, "just look at 'em. I mean, Mandalore is just strange—straight out weird. He locks himself in the communications room and just talks to his camp endlessly. His reasons for coming along are to reunite the clans, though I doubt the Mandalorians will ever rise up to what the were before.

"Kreia—that woman's all twisted up inside. Maybe she thinks she's Seth's mentor? I have no idea why the hell she's here, and all I know is that she needs to be left at a star port. She even lectures _me_ on how to do this and that.

"Atton. That's a name I'll never forget—sadly. I swear, that guy never shuts up about how much this trip sucks. I want to tell him, 'Then get off the damn ship.' But we need a pilot so he's staying, I guess. But he _never_ showers at all and it seems as if he lives for Pazaak. I swear, I've seen him and Seth playing Pazaak about twenty times!

"Bao-Dur is just…too distant. He's always fixing the ship and talking to the droids. He _is_ just about half machine because his arm is all…well, mechanical. But he fixes the ship so no harm.

"And did you hear that there's a new crewmate?" The Handmaiden suddenly lit up at this. "What!" she asked astounded somewhat of a new addition to the team. "Yeah…heard someone saying it was a Miraluka—" Mira started. "A Miraluka?" the Handmaiden interrupted. "But—but aren't they wiped out?"

"Apparently not," Mira said. The door of the office suddenly swung open and Seth stepped out and looked at them. "What're you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh—we were waiting for you," the Handmaiden said quickly. Seth shrugged. "Oh, alright," he said. Mira stood up and looked at the blaster rifle she was given; she forgot she had it. "What do I do with this?" Mira asked as she looked at it.

"I'll take it back to the armory," Seth said. "You two can go back to the ship." "Thanks," Mira said as she turned to leave. "I'm going to go with you," the Handmaiden said. "To—to talk about the battle and—" She said quickly as an excuse.

"Alright," Seth said indifferently. He didn't care if she came with him, although he did think something about it.


	3. Waking

Seth kept a few paces ahead of the Handmaiden as they strode slowly to the armory to drop off the rifle. "I saw you in combat," she said. "You've learned well." Seth gave her what passed for a yes and a bit of a nod. "We can move on," the Handmaiden said. "That's only if you'd like to."

Seth stopped suddenly. The Handmaiden looked at him for a second. "What's wrong?" she said, afraid of what she had said even though it seemed harmless and not at a bit suggestive.

"It's just," he began. It seemed Seth couldn't find the words. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "It's just that I don't want you to train me," Seth said, finding the words. _What did you do wrong_? The Handmaiden reeled back in shock.

Seeing her facial expression, he put his hands on her shoulders for reassurance and looked into her bluish-grey eyes. "I want to train _you_."

"But—I made a promise—to Atris," the Handmaiden said. Seth looked a bit disappointed. "I'm going to tempt you," he said. "But I hope you will become my student someday."

He walked onwards a bit; the Handmaiden stopped. Seth turned towards her. "You coming?" he asked. "N—no," she stammered. "I'm going back to the ship." The Handmaiden turned and walked quickly out of his sight and then ran across the waiting area and outside of Khoonda into the grass.

She was still covered in mercenary blood and her hood was still up. She felt indifference about this, and her focus was on what happened to her. _He wants you to become a Jedi. You could be like your mother, but you vowed servant hood to Atris and your sisters will think of you as a traitor…and they will kill you_. The Handmaiden brushed a horde of gnats out of her way. _He wants _you_ to train. If he said so, he must detect the Force in you a bit_. She thought of Atton in Jedi robes. _If _he_ wields the Force, then a gizka can. _

The Handmaiden neared the Ebon Hawk and proceeded up its loading ramp. She looked over her shoulder out at Dantooine. _Will I train_? She pushed the thoughts of betrayal away and returned to the cargo hold where she could practice more.

* * *

Mira sat in the med bay. _Why can't we have a doctor_? She thought as she leafed through another one of Atton's crazy Pazaak magazines. The Hawk was short of decent literature for sure, but there was just nothing to do but meditate with Jedi figures, play Pazaak with Atton, fix things with Bao-Dur, eavesdrop on Mandalore, or sleep in her comfortable area—a storage area.

It was her turn to watch the Miraluka lie unconscious on the bed in the med bay; everyone else pinned it on her because they were "busy". _Why can't Kreia watch her? She's _never_ doing anything important_, Mira mused. She threw down a Pazaak magazine from a few months ago and picked up an old medical reference book. It was filled with gross looking cuts and bites from various insects native to a diverse group of planets.

Mira paged through the book and looked at the pictures since she'd never been the book addict. She read a few picture captains but was easily bored with the book.

She then heard footsteps on the Ebon Hawk's metal floor and stood up instantly. Seth walked into the med bay.

"She flinched? Moved? Twitched?" he asked as he rounded the bed to look at a console. Mira took this as a chance to escape. "Nope, not a bit," she said. "_But_ a console looks interesting."

"Mhm," Seth said, obviously distracted by the computer. _Yes_! Mira thought. _Just escape—now_! She slinked out the door and ran to the empty dormitory and shut the door.

Seth looked up, not surprised to see Mira gone. _How typical_, he thought as he sat down next to the Miraluka.

Worry filled him as he looked at her lying there. He took her hand and said to her, "I'm sorry I knocked you out this bad, but _you_ attacked _me_." He gave a chuckle. "Hell, I thought _I'd_ be on this bed by the way you almost cut me down." He let her hand go and noticed her head scarf.

_Just a peak_, he thought. But her eyes were covered for a reason. Or did she not have _any_ eyes? He shrugged and checked to make sure nobody was watching him. He put out his hand to pull up the cloth.

Suddenly the Miraluka started to breathe heavily; Seth almost went into cardiac arrest from shock and fear. He quickly moved his hand away began to get a syringe of sedatives ready.

Seth quickly pulled her armor down from her neck and injected the yellowish liquid into a large vein in her neck. The Miraluka twitched a bit in pain, but settled down after a few seconds. Seth disposed of the syringe and waited by the bedside to see if she was fully conscious.

The Miraluka sat upright in the med bay's bed. "Where _am_ I?" she asked rhetorically. Her head swam violently; she felt shapes around her.

Seth spoke suddenly. "You are on the Ebon Hawk. I am Seth," he said. "Are you alright?" The Miraluka put her head in her hands as she sat beside Seth. "I…I don't know," she said. She seemed to adjust the veil covering her eyes.

She teetered on her legs as she tried to stand; Seth balanced her on her feet. "Let me help you to empty quarters," Seth said. "You can rest more there." She looked at him as if she had vision. "You know…who wants to stay in a _med bay_? It's not like you're sick—anymore," Seth said.

"Why are you doing this?" the Miraluka asked. "Why do you show mercy to an assailant?" Seth helped her walk to the empty dormitory. "Because it is right," he said. "Do you always do what is right?" she asked. "Or do you follow your own instincts and human reasoning also?" "I try to remain on the path of the light side," Seth said, "because too much darkness had already disembarked itself into this galaxy."

She seemed to respect his words. "But…kill me…please," she said. "_End_ this." "End what?" he asked. Seth stopped walking with her. It seemed like he needed to hear this. "This life—too much fragility—broken," she said. _Even she doesn't speak in sentences_, Seth said, recalling the Handmaiden doing the same. _Do women do this for effect or is it just a trait_?

"I'm not going to kill you," he said. "I'm going to save you, protect you from the darkness." Seth began to guide her again to the dormitory in silence.

"If anything," he said when they arrived, "I'm going to aid you. When you're fully rested, come to me and I'll get you a new lightsaber." He put his hand on the close door button when she said, "My name is Visas—Visas Marr." There was a few seconds of silence before he closed the door and she laid down on the floor to rest.

* * *

Mira had retreated back to her normal spot when she heard Seth dragging that Miraluka to the empty dormitory—_her_ safe haven. But now that it was taken, she came back to where she normally sat or stood. There was nothing for her to do there except sit and listen to Mandalore's muted voice in the communication room or hear the G0-T0 droid float occasionally. _Some amusing trip_, she thought. _But at least it's better than Nar Shadda_. She recalled the explosions and annihilation of Goto's yacht and the effect of it still booming across the smuggler's moon.

She laid back against the row of sinks in the small cargo space and wondered what was stored in here. She knew there was a cargo hold, but what went specifically in _here_?

Mira came up with various reasons: extra passenger space, a prison, secret compartments, a secretive way to escape, and many more, most of which weren't plausible at all. She surveyed the main hold and realized they were still on Dantooine. _Why_?

She got up from the miniature cargo area and proceeded towards the cockpit. "Hey, flyboy," Mira said to Atton who was looking a bit drowsy as he focused on the wall.

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Hm?" he said. "When are we lifting off?" she asked. Atton shrugged lazily. "Don't know," he said simply. "Waiting for some kind of signal—you know, the _command_ to go somewhere else?" Mira eyed him. "Just get off this backwater planet, will ya, even if Seth objects?" she said. "What if he wants to come _back_ here?" Atton objected. "I don't know about you, but _I_ sure as hell don't want to come back. You know, after that little intrusion and all." He stared out the cockpit window.

"Where is he?" she asked. _Time to leave_. "Check 'round the ship," Atton suggested. "He's bound to be in someone's presence either meditating or playing Pazaak—Nar Shadda style thought."

"_What_?" Mira said at this. _Nar Shadda style Pazaak—a _Jedi? "You heard me," Atton said. "That artic chick's got him sparring—Echani style." "_Echani_ style?" Mira said in shock._ How stupid is this guy_? "He didn't even know the so-called etiquette rules or whatever they're called?" "Apparently not," Atton said. He looked up at her. "Hey, if you're jealous, there's always me."

"You're lucky you don't trip over your ego," Mira muttered. "That's _it_?" Atton asked, shocked. "I mean, I thought a bounty hunter such as yourself could come up with something better than _that_." "Actually I can," Mira said in defense. "And it's in a holster at my hip." Atton rolled his eyes at this. "Get out of my chambers," he commanded.

Mira walked on a bit before calling, "That's _it_? I thought a fool such as yourself could come up with a better name for _that _place."

Mira rolled her eyes as she scanned the rooms: the empty dormitory claimed by the Miraluka was closed off by the door; Bao-Dur, HK-47, and the Remote were in the garage where Bao-Dur was doing his ever present work on the Hawk; the Handmaiden was sitting on the floor in the cargo hold; Kreia sat silently as she meditated; Mandalore was clanking round the communication room; Atton was being an egomaniac in the cockpit; T3-M4 wheeled about the ship.

_Where is he_? Mira walked briskly past the med lab to see the hatch above the ladder open. She climbed up the ladder to the top of the Ebon Hawk. Seth was sitting out on top of the cockpit and was gazing at the sun.

"What are you doing here?" Mira asked from the hole. "We've got to get going—or at least tell me so I can be a relay so we can get out of here." Seth didn't answer. "You deaf, Jedi?"

"It's just so peaceful," he said, ignoring her, "and the prodigious scenery is just so calming, but it's hard to believe that there's so much unrest here; I can feel it, and I'm sure even you can." He turned to Mira. "Can't you?"

_What do I say_! Mira began to panic, but she kept her normal attitude on the outside. "Yeah, I guess," she said. "It's defiantly no Nar Shadda, but it's got this kind of vibe coming off of it. It's almost as if it's dead and it's calling out to be saved from the darkness." She looked out over the landscape. "It's like it's afraid of plunging into the dark."

"Exactly," Seth said, nodding. "You're ready." _Ready for what_? Mira thought instantly. _I never realized all Jedi were this crazy_. "Ready for what?" she repeated aloud. He looked at her and grinned. "For your training, of course," he said.

"Whoa…what _training_?" she said. "I'm no Jedi, Seth. I'm the best damn bounty hunter on Nar Shadda and—" Mira began. "—and that's not you bragging, that's fact?" Seth repeated with a laugh. "Yeah, I know." He grew sober again. "But the Order is dying, Mira. I'm not asking you to follow the Code…just to give the Force a chance. You can always reject it, though I hope you don't," he said.

"We can go to Nar Shadda," he said. "And you can listen to Nar Shadda." "But I _know_ that place," Mira said. "Well, at least a lot better than you." Seth shrugged. "Prove it then," he said. _Hopefully she's that kind of woman who never turns down a challenge_. "Alright," she said, "you've got a deal—or a drafted deal."

"Okay then," Seth said as he started to stand. "But, just so you know, I don't do meditation and all that," Mira said. "Or any of that other stuff."

"Hey," Seth said. "All that you gotta do is wear the robes and carry the saber. The rest is stereotypical image. Now let's go—I bet Atton'll get scared of Nar Shadda the second we mention it. Let's just dress like…locals when we get there, alright?" Mira nodded. _I know I'm going to regret this_.

* * *

I hope I'm going in the right direction with this. 


	4. A New Jedi

"Hey, Jedi, wake up," Mira said as she shook Seth awake. He was sleeping in the main hold. "We've just touched down on Nar Shadda. Let's go before everyone questions this too much."

"Hm?" Seth was still half asleep. "Oh—yeah." He got up sleepily and rubbed his eyes. _You need more sleep_, he thought. Seth stood up and walked towards the loading ramp. Mira stood where she was. "You coming?" he asked.

"I'm having second thoughts," Mira said. _She needs to see Nar Shadda for what it is_, Seth told himself. He gave a wry smile inside. "Never thought you'd give up a challenge," he said. Seth shrugged and walked off the ship._ Her ego won't be able to take it_. He exited and leaned up against one of the legs.

A few seconds later he heard Mira yelling, "Hang on!" _Works every time_. He gave her an expectant look. "Let's go," she said, "but there is _no way_ that this will help me at all."

Seth shrugged again. "Suit yourself," he said. "Just keep an open mind, okay?" She nodded and the two walked out into the refugee landing pad in front of the cantina doors.

Seth stopped. "What do you feel?" "Well," Mira said, "I feel nauseous at the smell of all these freighters and a bit cold." He gave her a sober look. "What do you _feel_ from Nar Shadda?" he asked.

"_Nothing_," she said. "This is pointless." "Open your mind," he said. She looked at him expectantly. "Close your eyes." Mira shut her eyes. "Concentrate on the moon," he said. "Think of the vibes coming from it—think of the people and feel their feelings…know their thoughts and troubles…"

Mira said something too low to be heard or understood. "Hear them," he said quietly. She mumbled something again. "Can you hear them?" he asked. "No…" Mira said in a somewhat of a daze.

"Listen to 'em crying out in the night!" Seth said at a whisper now. "Hear the mothers crying out for their enslaved children, hear the bounty hunters breathe their last breath…hear Nar Shadda…" He felt the Force shining a tiny bit in her.

He put his hands on her face. "_Feel it_!" he commanded. It seemed that light was erupting from his fingertips and entering her body but it was still the ever present stink and darkness of Nar Shadda.

* * *

The Handmaiden leaned back against the chair in the main hold. She'd been chased out of the cargo hold so Seth could train Mira in the ways of the lightsaber and teach her more about the Force. The space of the cargo hold seemed ideal since the rest of the ship was either too small or occupied.

_That's my safe haven_, she thought as she heard the inaudible murmur of their voices: Seth telling Mira how to perfect the movements or that she was doing well on them.

Seth's words echoed in her mind: "I want to train you." They made her shiver slightly and remember her oath to Atris. _Shall I betray everything I have built my life upon? Will I follow my mother's footsteps_?

She fingered the Handmaiden Staff slung round her waist and tried to feel what a lightsaber would be like. The Handmaiden had a constant battle inside of her ever since Seth had asked her to be trained, but the intensity grew after he and Mira returned.

Mira went straight alongside Seth to the cargo hold for the proper Jedi attire. He'd congratulated her and told her when they could start the actual training, all in front of the Handmaiden.

The Handmaiden shifted her weight slightly. The Ebon Hawk was currently en route to the abandoned, dead Sith world of Korriban. She didn't want to stay on the ship, but with half the crew as Jedi knights-in-training, she was sure she would prove useless unless Seth needed a woman garbed in white robes under an oath to a master shut away in an artic prison, and she could come up with no situation in which she would prove useful at all.

She heard the now-typical sounds of the ship: the murmur of new Jedi Mira and Seth training, Bao-Dur talking to the droids and HK-47 responding with rather humorous responses, T3-M4 wheeling back and forth from the aft to the front of the ship doing various repairs, Atton yelling occasionally at the controls in the cockpit because they were a little out of shape. She heard nothing of the Miraluka or of Kreia, and that suited her perfectly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mira proceeded out in her new Jedi robes and into the miniature cargo hold with sinks. Mira shut the door and the Handmaiden guessed she was meditating. Seth didn't appear after her._ Where is he_?

The Handmaiden got up off of the chair to try to find him. She heard his voice in the Miraluka's room. _Is he ever around_?

"Are you alright?" Seth asked Visas. She looked as she did before: clad in her armor, mysteriously hiding behind her veil. "Yes," she said.

Visas was a solemn girl—she was always meditating. It seemed though she never ate nor slept. She was a bit taciturn and Seth always wondered if she was bald or not. Her skills with a lightsaber and with the Force were pretty good, so Seth didn't bother training her as much as he did the others. He would always check on her though to make sure she was doing alright.

"Are you sure?" he asked again. _Women, let alone everybody, _always_ lie about their feelings_, Seth thought. She looked at him. "I'm fine."

There was a bit of a silence that was a bit awkward. "Can I ask you some stuff?" Seth asked, thinking he sounded like a child. "Of course," she said.

"Where did you come from?" he asked. There was a silence. "My master…he had me seek you out," she said. "I was sent to find you, and to kill." Seth expected more by the look on his face. "Do not ask to find him, for his ship cannot be found. It comes into action, and then leaves as if it is just a ghost or a spirit. He feeds on other life through the Force; his hunger has not been satisfied.

"I shall take you to him, but only when the time is right. You must be prepared to face him, for you will need all your strength. He can devour entire planets with his armada. He has followers, and the dark side is strong within him, but it is not his slave." She paused. "Yet."

_So…this guy's out to get me, too along with that scarred grey guy_? Seth mused. "That is all I must say at the moment," Visas finished, "because you need not focus on my master now, but your current task at hand."

Then there was another brief and somewhat strange silence between them. "Where are we going?" Visas asked, obviously trying to make conversation. "Korriban," Seth said. Then he acted as if something just came to his mind. "I can have Bao-Dur fix your lightsaber if you wish," he said. "It's a big longer than mine—which can be both good and bad." He gave a forced grin. Visas forced a bit of one too._ At least she doesn't think I'm crazy_.

"We're probably going to touch down shortly," Seth continued. "I could go ask Atton and see when we're going to land." "No, that's alright," she said quickly. Seth shrugged. "Alright," he said as he turned to leave. Just before closing the door, he told her that if she needed anything, she could just ask him. "I'm alright," Visas responded, pretending to be perfectly fine. Seth left her at that and wandered around the ship.

He decided to get something to eat from the cargo hold. The Handmaiden was sitting idly on a box staring off into another world. "Hey," he said. "Mmm?" she said. _Doesn't she talk in sentences anymore_?

"Just getting something to eat," Seth said just in case she was defensive of her territory. "Can I join you?" she said, jumping at the chance to talk to him. "Sure," Seth said. He pulled up a box next to hers and laid out an assorted selection of hermetically sealed food. Seth handed the Handmaiden a bottle of water.

She picked up a bag of sliced orange fruit; Seth took a hunk of blended animal meat that was pressed into a square. Seth set up a small table between them. The Handmaiden stood up and shut the cargo hold door.

Seth laughed. "We're not going to do _that_ again, are we?" At first, the Handmaiden was offended, but then realized it was meant jokingly. She forced a laugh. "Of course not," she said as she sat back down.

They turned sober again as they began to eat their food. The Handmaiden looked nonchalantly at her fruit as she spoke: "I've thought a lot." _Go on_, she thought. _If that bounty hunter can, surely you can_! "I've considered training…" Her voice trailed. Atris could be watching. Her face flashed in the Handmaiden's mind and haunted her thoughts. Seth looked up at her from his hunk of meat. "Jedi training?" he asked.

"Y—yes," the Handmaiden stammered. _Traitor_. The word came from somewhere foreign. _Betrayer_. Another insult from somewhere. The Handmaiden looked up from her fruit and scanned the cargo hold with her eyes.

Seth gave her a look asking what she was doing, but she avoided it. "Yes," she said more firmly. "I wish to train to become a Jedi." "But you'll forsake your oath," Seth protested. "If you break your promise it will be all my fault!"

"No," she said. "I _want_ to train to become a Jedi." Seth looked at her gravely. "You made a promise," he stated. "You don't break promises." "This is not forsaking my heritage, Seth," she argued. "The Jedi are dying. Can't you see that? If anyone can act, they should. If I can help the broken Order, then I will. Atris is a Jedi herself—so she understands their importance.

"What happens if all the Jedi die forever and no one can breathe life back into the galaxy? The dark side and human greed will dominate, not the Jedi—the ones who are sworn to protect the galaxy." "The Jedi are not rulers," Seth said. "They are protectors of peace and justice. They do what is right, and are fit into a holy stereotype."

"I am no perfect person, and no Jedi master," the Handmaiden said. "I feel as if I can help the galaxy's posterity, I should. It is my duty. A promise is just mere words, but actions affect many and ripple throughout the galaxy."

Seth admired her speech. _Spoken like a true Jedi_, he thought. He smiled at her and said, "Training starts whenever. Join Mira and me, okay?" _Mira_? The Handmaiden suddenly felt cheated, as if she'd bought something for an overpriced amount of credits. She forced a smile. "Thank you," she said.

The Handmaiden suddenly stood up and made for the door. "Where are you going?" Seth asked. "No where special," she replied. "Forgetting something?" he asked casually. The Handmaiden turned and gave Seth a curious look. "What?"

Seth reached over his shoulder and pointed at the pile of folded Jedi robes; the Handmaiden was wearing her normal clothing. "It's customary," he said. "You wanna be a Jedi, you gotta wear the robes." With that statement, he stood up and took a few more randomly picked packages of food and a bottle of Juma with him.

"Put those on and start meditating," he said. "It'll help you channel the Force and know how to control it until it becomes second nature." He took a final bite of the meat he'd started. "Don't I need some kind of awakening?" the Handmaiden asked. "Or just something else?"

"If you'd like," Seth said with a mouthful of food. "We're going to have to do that later; we're close to Korriban." _How does he know_? The Handmaiden wondered.

But she was too happy to think. _You're going become a Jedi—a new member of the Order, owner of a lightsaber, and one of Seth's Padawans._ She smiled as she watched Seth shut the door, and she was still smiling as she shed her clothing to throw on the robes.

* * *

The whole group was in front of the planet holovid in the main hold. "This is it. We've hit the ground—this is Korriban," Atton started. "Why would a Jedi Master come _here_?" "Because they wanted to?" Mira quipped. Kreia cut in before any more arguing could come about. "The Jedi seem to be unpredictable," she said in her unusually-calm-through-all-turmoil voice that could be compared to either nails on a chalkboard or a cat purring.

"How so?" Seth asked. "For one, they do _not_ keep promises. The Jedi—the Sith. It is all just labels that makes it easier for the galaxy to sort and organize," Kreia said. "What?" Atton said loudly. "There we go with the cryptic routine—_again_. I swear, I'll knock you out an airlock myself if you don't quit it." "_Fools _need not even learn the Force, for they will just forsake themselves to the hands of betrayers and murderers, ones who slay their own kind for with no valid reasoning or thought," Kreia said in a louder tone. She was like a strict schoolroom teacher.

Atton mumbled something to himself as Seth drew away from arguing. "Alright, alright," he said. "Who wants to tag along this time?" "I will not be joining you," Kreia said. Before Atton could reply with his witty, "And why not?", Kreia responded, "I need to center myself round such items and instruments of the dark side, but I will be able to communicate through the bond."

"Bond?" Visas asked. "I'll explain it to you later," Seth said. He got back to the task at hand. "So, who's coming along for the ride?" "I will," Mira volunteered. "Need to test out this damn lightsaber that won't work right…" Her voice trailed as she fingered the lightsaber at her belt. She got it loose and Bao-Dur took a few steps to look at it while Seth spoke still. "Any more takers?" "I will come," Visas said calmly; the Handmaiden made a bit of a scowl.

"Alright," he said as he walked towards the loading ramp. "Let's head out."


	5. Korriban

The dryness in the air of Korriban and the dust that never seemed to settle whenever one of them stepped were two of the things that made Seth they were off the planet already. Occasionally there would be a rock slide heard in a shut away and blockaded tomb by various amounts of rockslides.

Seth, Mira, and Visas had just exited the Ebon Hawk to find a barren planet with bodies and the stench of the dead. Seth cringed; Mira expressed indifference because of her adaptation to the smell of Nar Shadda; and Visas showed no emotion.

Mira threw him a breath mask. "It'll help," she said. _She wants me to wear this_? Seth thought as he looked at the black device in his hand. "No thanks," he rejected the mask. Mira shrugged. "Whatever." The trio began to walk again. "Just breathe through your mouth," Visas said quietly; Seth took her advice.

They neared a body when Seth heard Kreia in his brain. "Leave the bodies," she commanded. _Won't she leave me alone_? "Hey!" Seth said as Mira was about to inspect the corpse. "Don't touch that—thing."

Mira got up from stooping over the body and asked, "Why? It could have good equipment. _And_ it was alive—once." She looked at the facial features and body structure for a few seconds. "And it was a girl, too." Mira eyed him suspiciously. "How do _you_ know that she's dangerous?"

"Uh, Mira, _she_ doesn't have a gender anymore—she's just a pile of dirt," Seth said. "_And_ I know this because of this freaky bond I've supposedly got with Kreia. Unfortunately it's lethal, so that means that if she gets hurt I go down with her.

"We can read each other's thoughts, hear things, ex cetera. You know that whole Jedi-bond stuff, don't you, Mira?" "No," she said. "Learn it," Seth said, "otherwise some Jedi you'll be."

"Why are you bonded?" Visas asked, avoiding _another_ argument. Seth seemed eager to talk about the bond rather than argue with Mira. "I don't really know, but then who does?" Seth shrugged. "Hell, maybe it's because she and I were on Peragus together, but who knows."

"How is it lethal?" Visas asked again. _She seems overly interested in this bond_, Seth thought. _And this dry air and heat are getting a bit annoying_. "Well, I don't really know since all the Jedi masters I've talked to—Master Kavar, Master Zez-Kai-El, and Master Vrook—don't know. I only know that it is, in fact, lethal because Kreia faced a guy back on Peragus who was all grey with lots of scars. She lost her hand there, and let me tell you I sure felt it."

"What did it feel like?" Visas asked yet again. "Like my hand was being dipped into molten carbine." Seth looked at the dust swirling a few hundred meters from their position.

"Can I ask you about it later?" Visas asked. "I need to know if…" Her voice trailed for a bit. "If…I was bonded to someone." She said the last part quickly which meant she was either restating a terrible memory or lying. Seth guessed the former, because Visas didn't lie. Seth nodded. "Yeah," he said. "But when we get back and when we're going to Dantooine after we get all the masters."

Mira was standing around studying a pillar with curious markings on it. "Can we go now, or is bond class still in session?" She rolled her eyes. "Cute," Seth said unscathed. "Let's go."

The company proceeded across the valley up into a small pathway in mountains. All of a sudden, another smell rushed out and Seth, Mira, and Visas. "Euuh!" Mira said right away. "Even Nar Shadda isn't _that_ bad." "Energy comes from that cave," Visas said. "_Energy_! How about bad odors?" Mira said. She was overacting: Mira got out a breath mask and slapped it on her face, looking utterly ridiculous. Seth rolled his eyes. "Take that stupid thing off," he said.

"Stop," the voice in his head said again. "You should enter this cave after you have finished what you have come here for." _Get out of my head_, he thought. "Let's go onwards," Seth said.

They walked forwards a bit until they came to mammoth doors. Visas studied them. "They're—they're open," she said not too shocked. "_Open_? Like they're _expecting_ us?" Mira glanced at the doors and had a rush of panic set through her body. "I'm going back to the ship," she said as she turned round.

"Oh no you are _not_," Seth said. "This is training." Mira turned. "Then why isn't the lady in white here, too, or am I just your personal test subject?"

"Fine, do whatever the hell you want," he said with a bit of frustration in his tone. Mira took a deep breath. "Look, this place scares the hell out of me. And I'm not scared of a lot of stuff, and the stuff I'm scared of I run from."

"Suit yourself." Seth shrugged. He turned to Visas. "You coming?" She nodded. Seth looked back at Mira. "You bailing for good?" "You bet I am," Mira said. "Oh, and I'll tell Atton to keep the engines ready so when you run out of here so fast you can barely breathe, you can leave fast."

Mira turned around and ran past the caves and out of the valley. She jumped a few bodies for amusement and ran straight up on the Ebon Hawk.

Seth looked at the door for a brief moment. "It's just so strange, isn't it?" Visas didn't respond. "It's just…open." He took a few steps back and looked at Visas. "You're not going in there with _those_," he said, motioning to the vibroblades strapped to her waist. "Bao-Dur's not done fixing your lightsaber, but you're not going in there with vibroblades." He reached onto his waist. "Here," he said as he tossed her his second lightsaber. "Take it. I'll be only half as deadly, but at least you can help me."

_Does this woman ever talk_? "You ready?" he asked. Visas nodded. "Hm?" Seth wanted to get her talking. Visas got what he was doing and readied the lightsaber. The blade whizzed out of the hilt and made the faint buzzing sound. She got in the ready-to-run stance and said, "Yes." Seth opened the doors.

Light flooded into the dusty and previously dingy hallway leading into the academy.

Seth turned to Visas. "I would be the chivalrous man now, but ladies first just seems downright unfair." Visas grinned. _Is this emotion_? Seth thought in wonder. "Let's go," she said.

Seth took a few steps before Visas began to follow. The corridors were of dark brown stone, and had cobwebs and the stench of the dead. Seth wanted to breathe fresh air again, but he knew that Visas would think of him as a head case if he reached for the breath mask sitting tauntingly in the pack at his waist.

They came into a large room that appeared to be a training room. There were footlockers against the wall. "We don't have to loot it," Seth said in a whisper as if he feared to wake up a sleeping rancor. Visas nodded, not wanting to talk loudly.

Seth and Visas stepped cautiously through the hallways until they heard the shift of feet behind them. _Sith assassins_! Seth instantly thought. The blade of his lightsaber appeared out of no where from the hilt and he turned round. "Come and get me," he said in the quietest whisper.

The Sith assassins materialized and began to strike at Visas and Seth. Seth sliced through two of them with a clean cut of his lightsaber; Visas cut three down with a few swipes of her own. Blood splattered onto Seth's robes that were freshly washed from the battle at Khoonda.

The assassins wielded mainly vibroblades and Force pikes. They were garbed in the seemingly customary black outfits all the assassins were in. They had large red circles for eyes, or eye holes. Seth found them a nuisance more than anything, something that held him up and made him waste even _more_ time, which was something he did not have on his side.

After a small battle, there were about ten Sith assassins dead at their feet. "There's more," Seth said. "Let's clear out the place 'fore we go exploring." Visas held up her lightsaber. She seemed shell shocked even though no grenades went off. Seth walked a few paces to where Visas was standing.

"You alright?" he asked. She was looking at the floor. "I…I don't know." She paused. "All of a sudden, this rush of anger came over me to slaughter the assassins…just to kill. I've…I've never felt it in my life." Seth handed her a medpac from his belt.

"It's probably just the blood…" he said. Visas accepted the medpac and injected it into her arm. "I've seen killing before," she said, "but I've never _felt _rage—the rage as if I am seeking revenge."

"We have to keep moving," Seth said. Visas nodded and the subject was not prodded further.

They came upon more shielded assassins. _Why can't they be like normal warriors and just hide in shadows, or would not using those damn stealth generators rid them of the title "assassin"_? Seth wondered as they rounded another corner after slaughtering about another five. His robes were red on the fringes and there was some splatter on it. He just shrugged it off, knowing he could always get new ones or wash the ones he was wearing.

There were also a lot of tukata in the dormitories and bedrooms in the Sith academy. There was also a poison field that erupted with gas; Seth held his breath and handed Visas a breath mask. They ran through and found more Sith assailing them; they were quickly cut down by the two man army.

Once they checked all the corridors for remaining Sith, they went into the full center of the academy. "Let's start," Seth said. He'd found a data pad in a footlocker saying computer logins to take a test. He found a working console (which surprised him and Visas) in a bedroom.

He typed in the login "New Recruit". A test popped up. The questions didn't stump him, for he knew the answers. And if he didn't, he had an ex-Sith alongside him as help. He passed the test with flying colors. _I should've joined this place_, Seth thought. _Surely I would've been at the top of the class_.

He then began to hit random keys on the console to get things to work, since the test yielded nothing. He got a message, and he heard doors slide open. They'd come to a dead end of locked doors before, so he decided to check it out.

He motioned for Visas to follow him and the two walked to (but ran across the poison area) to a room full of cages, tukata, and a computer console. Seth signaled for the cages to open. _I need more of a workout_, he thought. Seth and Visas readied their lightsabers as the fight barely lasted a few minutes as they cut down the tukata.

The computer console was beeping, and there was another message talking about disciplinary action. He heard more doors slide open, and he proceeded to go out the door into a room that resembled torture chamber. There was a cage, a table, a computer console, and Master Vash lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Seth put his lightsaber back onto his belt and threw over the prison. He gaped as he saw Vash lying on the floor. He turned her over and held her limp body in his arms. Vash's eyes were open, and her lips slightly parted. There were slashes across her chest and her robes were soaked with blood.

_She's dead_. He'd never seen her like this: she was always talking with the other Masters or meditating with some apprentice or her Padawan, a bumbling blonde boy about five years Seth's youth.

Visas stooped down to his level. She put a gloved hand onto Vash's face and brushed her eyes closed. "She fought," Visas said, not knowing what to say. Seth carried her body to the torture table after brushing away a skeleton of an unlucky victim.

Seth gathered a few various flammable items and made a small spark with his hands. "Wait," Visas said. She reached into Master Vash's belt and picked out her pack and lightsaber. "She can live on. Even though she is dead, her lightsaber will still be in the hands of a Jedi." Visas turned the lightsaber over to Seth.

Her remark sent chills through him. "_...in the hands of a Jedi_…" she had said. _Am_ I_ a Jedi or is this just a big joke_? Seth took the lightsaber from her hands and secured it on his belt. It was cold, and dry blood was on it. He then made another spark and the body ignited into a large pile of flames in a matter of minutes.

Seth sat on the floor of the detention chamber for what seemed hours next to Visas. _Is she watching, or can she not see_? Seth wondered. _But if she couldn't see, then how could she still be alive, or at least not navigating on the ship with a cane_?

After an hour, there was a pile of ashes where Master Vash's body used to be. Seth spit on the lightsaber hilt and cleaned the dry blood off of it. Visas was a few paces ahead of him as they went out of the room. He then saw the computer console. The door had shut tightly behind them as they entered the academy, and they needed a way to get out.

"Hang on a sec," he told Visas; she stopped walking and turned to wait for him. He began furiously typing on the computer console. He got a name and password to exit the place. He told Visas to meet him in the center of the academy while he punched the password and username into the working computer console in dormitory.

He took off instantly and ran to the console and punched in the login and password, eager to be leaving. The computer beeped happily at the acceptance of the login and Seth ran to the center of the academy.

Visas wasn't there anymore. Instead, the scarred Sith Lord from Peragus was present. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Seth asked angrily. His face grew into a frustrated expression at the disappearance of Visas.

The Sith Lord got up from his meditating position. "You have finally come," he said. "If you are looking for the girl, she has fled." "Who are you anyways?" Seth asked, thinking he sounded too clichéd.

"A name is just a label that one is given so that they might be easily sorted out and called on," he replied simply. His accent was heavy, and Seth wondered about his origins. "Yeah—what's your 'label'," Seth said. _Why doesn't this guy just tell me his name_? "Sion," he said. "But you could have acquired this from the woman you travel with."

_There's many of those_. "Kreia?" Seth instantly thought of the most obvious choice. "Indeed she _has_ taught you well to converse with the enemy before striking, has she not?" Sion taunted. _Leave this place_! Kreia shouted in his head. _His strength is greater than yours—especially since the dark side is strong here_.

"I fear no darkness," Seth said. "Then you will die a painful death," Sion shouted as he flashed his lightsaber out. The hilt was redder than a laigrek's eye. Seth went towards him with overwhelming force.

"A child with a lightsaber," he mocked again as he parried Seth's attach effortlessly. Seth struck again, and burned him on the hand.

Sion came with an offense now. His lightsaber flew forward and barely missed Seth's head. Sion threw his arm at Seth, and began to use half hand-to-hand combat moves and half lightsaber forms. Then, Sith assassins appeared.

Seth was mystified as they appeared out of thin air; Sion whacked Seth in the eye with the hilt of his lightsaber. Seth fell to the floor and got up quickly.

_He's too strong_, Seth thought. He put his lightsaber forward and charged towards the door and cut down three in his way with two swipes of his lightsaber. A few assassins followed him, but he heard Sion say, "Let him go. We shall meet again."

But he didn't care. Seth ran to the door, and passed the caves. _Later_, he thought. He ran out into the valley and through the lines of pillars at full speed. He saw the Ebon Hawk's loading ramp welcoming him and he ramp straight up it, to the right, through main hold, and straight into the cockpit.

"Get…out…of…here," he panted. Atton gave him a quizzical look as he fired up the engines. Seth took a seat in the co-pilot chair and rested for a few seconds.

"So," Atton said, "what's with the great escape?" He was looking at the consoles and out the window. "Remember that guy from Peragus?" Seth asked. "That freaky guy with all that scarring?" Atton asked. "The guy that looks like he sleeps with vibroblades?" He rolled his eyes. "How can I _not_ remember him? Damn Sith Lord almost cut us down." Atton rested his hands for a bit. "_He_ was there? Well no wonder it looks like you were running from a rabid bantha." Seth nodded. "Yeah…" he said as if his thoughts were the next planet they were headed to.

Seth stood up. "I'm going to go…" he said, looking for an excuse to leave Atton alone. "Aw, just go," he said. "My Pazaak deck and I were about to get it on anyways." Seth rolled his eyes at this one. "Keeps me sane," Atton said, shrugging.

Seth walked out into the main hold where he saw Mira sitting in a chair with a smug look on her face. "Told ya, didn't I?" she said slyly. "I _told_ you that you'd be running, didn't I?" "Are you talking to _me_?" Seth pretended to oblivious to her words.

She punched his arm. "At least_ say_ that I was right." Mira laughed. "You egomaniac—just admit it." "Alright, alright," Seth said. "You _were_ right." He paused. "_But_ not entirely. Oh—and we've got to do some training now."

"Awww, but I was just getting ready to sleep," she said in mock dejection. She stood up and got a bit more serious. "Is the Handmaiden—or whatever her name is—joining us?"

Seth shook his head. "Nope," he said. "This stuff's advanced." Mira gave him a somewhat shocked look. "I thought you Jedi were supposed to above this," she said. "_What_!" Seth asked confused. They began the walk to the cargo hold.

"Hey, can we borrow your space for a few hours?" Seth asked when they saw the Handmaiden sitting on a box. She nodded and proceeded out. The Handmaiden seemed a bit disturbed that she was being kicked out of her cargo hold again, but Seth knew she'd come to her senses.

He shut the doors. "Behind closed doors?" Mira asked with a laugh. "Just shut up and sit on this box," Seth told her as he threw an empty box to her. Seth grabbed a food package from a box and threw it on the floor. "Move it," he said.

Mira gave him a confused look. "Excuse me?" Seth pointed to the package. "Move it with the Force," he said. Mira shrugged and concentration came instantly to her face. She shut her eyes tightly and fell into deep concentration. Seth stood by and watched for a few minutes.

She was unsuccessful, and her eyes snapped open. "How do you do that?" she asked. "Took me years to master levitation," Seth said. "What?" Mira asked in anger. There really were no other words to say.

"It's really because I wanted to talk to you without people listening in," Seth said. Mira looked confused. "Talk? About what?"

Seth shrugged. "You know…training…the mission…" He pulled up a box. She eyed him suspiciously. "You…" She looked utterly shocked. "Is this some kind of clumsy come-on?" she asked with a bit of a laugh. Seth glared at her. "Look, you Jedi don't get out much, do you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Look, if we started sharing a bunk, the other girls would get jealous and then I'd have to kick the hell outta them to show them whose the pack leader around here," she said firmly. "_No thanks_."

Seth now gave her an expectant look. "Because…?" "Well, for starters, it's pretty obvious you're not one of those guys who don't give a damn about their appearance, but not care too much. I respect that. And you defiantly know how to fight, but…" she stopped. "You're too old for me. And even if I _wanted _to, I bet you couldn't even keep up with me."

He laughed at this. "First, I am _not_ that old. And second, _I_ am the exiled Jedi, remember?" "_Exactly_," Mira said. "I thought I'd seen a lot—" "That's just it! Where are you from? Who _are_ you exactly?" Seth said.

She looked at him blankly. "I thought _I'd_ seen a lot," she continued, "but you look like you're a hundred inside." She gave him a smile. "You're a great teacher, master, whatever you Jedi call your instructors, but not _that_ kind of great, you know?" Mira said. "Besides, if you're looking to hook up power couplings, you've barked up the wrong tree."

"Oh," Seth said. "Forgot you and Atton were…" She hit him. "Shut up." Mira grew sober again. "Professional level, okay?" Seth shrugged. "Your wish, Padawan." He stood. "Return to your chambers and begin your meditations. We'll continue later."

* * *

"Hey, I heard you making friends with our bounty hunter," Atton said as Seth strode into the cockpit and sat down on the co-pilot's chair. "Your point?"

"Hey, I've known people like her on Nar Shadda. You get attached to one, you forget her and the rest are scum. You learn eventually," Atton said.

Seth looked at Atton. "You get women?" "Not really," he said, resting his head on his hand. "They think they can save anybody, and that they are invulnerable to the world. They also believe that we're all chivalrous and do displays of courtesy regularly, and thanks to _you_ I've got something to live up to." He laughed. "But no, not really. Kept clear of 'em so far, and plan on it being like that." Atton paused and looked at Seth. "Too bad you aren't that lucky."

Seth pondered Atton's amazingly profound words for a few minutes before asking to play Pazaak. "I'd turn _this_ down?" Atton asked shocked. "I'll deal."

So Atton dealt, and lost. They played for what seemed hours until it came upon Seth to ask where they were headed. "Where're we going?" "Dxun—_again_," he said. "We received a transmission from one of those Mandalorians at Mandalore's little fort. I thought one of your girlfriends told you." "I don't have a girlfriend," Seth said. _You only wish_, his mind mocked him.

"Sure you do," Atton said in disbelief. "You want to play over some Juma? I'm gettin' thirsty." Seth nodded. "But I'll play you again. Loser has to get up and get cups and a bottle." Atton grinned at this. _Be ready to get up_, he thought. "You're on."


	6. The Tomb

"I heard you and Mira talking," Visas said as Seth peeked into her dormitory like he always did. He was about to leave but stopped in the middle of his step. "You _what_?" he asked.

Visas walked over to the door to stop him from fleeing the conversation. "I'm worried about you," she said. "Your face—your emotions after what you saw on Korriban…" "You ran off," Seth said.

"I remember seeing him in a previous place," Visas said, "but I did not remember where. I only knew his power. I came back to the Ebon Hawk quickly, and I thought you would do the same." "Well I didn't," he said. Seth was still upset that she'd left him high and dry. "But what's that got to do with Mira?"

Visas took a breath. "Your emotions…they are full of unrest and you are angry." "Oh and you can read that from meditating?" Seth closed his eyes. "_Look_, it was just probably a bit too much Juma, the Korriban air, _whatever_. I'm _not_ here to hook up, you know. I'm here to save the galaxy—again." He sighed. _Why does she need to know anyways_? He stopped his thoughts. _What_ was_ I doing_!

Seth turned to leave, but Visas voice stopped him again. "If…if you need something to hold onto," she said slowly. He turned to look at her. "…just remember what you're fighting for—who you're fighting for. All onboard this ship have someone they're fighting for. Whether it be themselves or someone else, they have someone to fight for." "And who am I fighting for?" Seth asked. "The galaxy," she said. "You are going to be fighting for Onderon soon, and you have already fought for Dantooine." Visas paused a brief second before continuing. "Remember what you are doing—remember who you are."

Seth nodded, and knew he would remember her words. _How come everything she says seems to have substance and wisdom behind it, like she already planned it_? He then wondered whether or not she had the gift or foresight, when Mandalore came a few meters from him. "Dxun is in sight."

* * *

Seth stood next to Mandalore in a circle the crew had made with a few Mandalorians. "We've found some interesting land and someone may want to check it out," a Mandalorian said. "It's a tomb of some sort."

"Alright," Seth said. But Kreia started talking—_again_. "We _must_ send a team out to see what is in that tomb. It may be vital, or it may be nothing at all. You must appoint a team leader." Seth studied the not-so-eager faces. He shrugged. "Visas, you can lead it." She just nodded casually. Kreia expressed her approval. Seth turned to the group. "Mandalore, you go with. You too, Rand." Atton scowled. "Do I have to?" he asked in a whiny voice, purposely sounding like he was a child. "Stop with those childish antics," Kreia scolded. Atton rolled his eyes.

"I will be accompanying you to Onderon," Kreia said. "Pick someone to come with." Seth studied the faces staring at him, waiting. "You," he said, pointing at the Handmaiden. "Consider it Phase One of training." He threw her his own lightsaber. "It's a bit heavier than that staff, but it's more lethal and it'll save us time." "What will you use?" the Handmaiden asked, knowing this was Seth's lightsaber. "I've got myself covered," he said, revealing a second, Master Vash's lightsaber from Korriban.

"Oh, I have the one you gave me," Visas piped up. She handed him the lightsaber he'd lent her on Korriban. Seth accepted it with a nod of thanks. He then turned to Mandalore. "How're we getting there?" he asked. "Follow me," Mandalore said.

They proceeded through the grass to an unlocked hangar. "A basilisk!" Seth asked in amazement. Mandalore chuckled. _He laughs_? Seth wondered, but snapped back to attention when Mandalore spoke. "They won't know _what_ hit them." He patted the side of the war droid. "Treat 'er well," he commanded.

Bao-Dur was leaning up against the wall where they had been before Mandalore took Seth off. He then heard a soft footstep on the grass. Bao-Dur turned around to see thin air. He stuck out his hand to the Handmaiden. "May I borrow that?" he asked, motioning for the lightsaber. "I don't…" she started. Bao-Dur gave her a stern look and the Handmaiden reluctantly turned it over.

He sent the hilt out in a blaze of blue, and whipped it through the air. It made the famous sound of a lightsaber in combat. He walked slowly, still swinging the lightsaber in great circles until he saw a black arm fall to the ground. "We're being attacked!" he shouted and put the lightsaber hilt back in and threw the it back to the Handmaiden.

Bao-Dur reached for his lightsaber that was a bit broken and would flicker since he wasn't done fixing it up. He'd constructed it out of spare parts from broken ones from the Jedi enclave on Dantooine.

His dysfunctional lightsaber started to fly through the air as the assassins came out from behind their stealth generators. Mira, Bao-Dur, Visas, the Handmaiden, Atton, and Kreia all began at once flinging their lightsabers through the air.

At least fifty assassins were present where they stood. Seth heard the battle, and ran back with Mandalore to see what was going on. Sith assassins fell to the ground as well as two Mandalorians who were overwhelmed with ten against one. Seth saw about twenty-five surrounding the two at the battle ring.

Seth never liked using Force lightning on enemies, but there were too many of them. He concentrated hard and extended his hand. He didn't even feel the lightning bolts fly from the tips of his fingers and onto each of the assassins' bodies. He did this for about thirty seconds before they all fell.

Mandalore was gone, and the battle circle victims were already fighting off more. Seth returned to the group and began to cut down Sith assassins. His robes, once again, were full of blood. _Again_? He killed another. _Why is this so messy? I'm getting a bit sick of washing these robes in the sinks all the time_. He decided to buy more.

Mandalore watched more assassins appear. "Go onto the basilisk! My men can take care of them."

Seth, Kreia, and the Handmaiden ran away from the battle and the rest of the crew scattered toward the exit point to either go to the tomb or return to the Hawk.

The basilisk was a bit cramped, but they all fit. Seth fired up the engines and they were on their way to Onderon.

* * *

Visas was gathering last minute things in the dormitory when Mira suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I'm coming with you," she said firmly, as if expecting her request denied if she asked. "Seth appointed Atton, Mandalore, and myself to go," Visas said plainly.

"_Atton_?" Mira asked shocked. "I'm shocked—really I am. You're thinking of _him_ as the least bit of help. At least let me fill in for him if he gets cold feet." Visas shrugged. "Come on," Mira coaxed. Visas looked up at her. "You snuck off the ship and joined us as we were about to go into the tomb." Mira nodded. "Right."

"That means that's what you tell Seth if he asks about you accompanying us," Visas clarified. Mira laughed. "You're going to lie about _this_? I don't believe it."

"Believe what?" Visas said as she discarded a few syringes on a bed. "I don't believe you're lying about this. I mean, I thought you'd lie about something worth while," Mira said. "He gave me orders," Visas said blankly. "You follow them all?" Mira quipped. Visas ignored her comment. "He trusted me with a job, and I plan to see it through," Visas said. "I do my jobs, I follow my orders. My life for his."

Mira kept herself from laughing hysterically. "Your life…for _his_?" she said. "I think he can handle himself." Mira stopped laughing when Visas looked at her again. She could tell she was glaring beneath her veil. "A simplistic debt," she said as she injected herself with a strange yellowish chemical. "If you are to come, then keep quiet. Do not provoke Atton, for I _know _he will argue about anything you set up." Mira rolled her eyes. "You got that right. Now are we going to head out or what?"

Atton had taken charge, despite he wasn't team leader. He'd drawn his lightsaber and taken the liberty upon himself to cut down branches in their way, and ones that even weren't. _Does he have an obsession with swinging his lightsaber around_? Visas wondered.

They neared a cave where a Mandalorian explained a sensor device was up ahead. While Atton was arguing with Mandalore they'd be detected anyways, Mira ran up to the group.

Atton turned and frowned. "Let me guess…this was scripted." Mira rolled her eyes. "Do you _ever_ stop arguing, or is it your pass time?" "Hey I—" Atton began but Mandalore looked directly at him. His helmet was off because of the heat. His squinty told Atton to shut up. He stopped talking instantly.

Mira wanted to laugh at this. _How the mighty have fallen_. Visas walked past Atton, Mandalore, and Mira and took point. "We _will _be detected, but if we can delay it was should," she said. Visas then snapped off a stealth field generator that was round her waist and shoved it in Atton's hands. "Put this on and go up ahead and turn off the device," she instructed. "_Don't_ make any sudden movements."

Atton grumbled as he strapped himself into the device and disappeared. They heard his footsteps and saw mines disappear as he bent down to take some. They heard the slight buzzing sound die down, and Atton materialized before them by the device. He waved to tell them it was alright to run by.

Mandalore, Visas, and Mira weaved through the mines to meet up with Atton. Then they readied their weapons and proceeded out of the cave to an open field where they saw the tomb entrance and a Sith camp. They heard shouting and saw the Sith charging at them. _So much for that delay_, Visas thought as her lightsaber came to life. "Let them come to us," she said. "We can tire them a bit."

She and the others got in a ready position and prepared for blows. The very first of the attacks was aimed towards Atton who barely missed getting hit with a stray blaster. He deflected a few with his lightsaber, but dodged most of them by running left and right.

Mandalore held up his sword and war axe and ran towards the Sith. He attacked each one that crossed him with full force; he didn't tire which amazed the rest of the small team.

Visas stayed where she was and deflected blaster shots until the Sith wielding vibroblades and other melee weapons came up to her. Visas cut them down, and had a flashback to the Korriban Sith Academy and the Sith assassins. She pushed thoughts such as this from her mind so she could concentrate on what she was doing.

Mira had run full force like Mandalore at the attackers and had gone right for the general of the camp himself. She killed him with two swipes of her lightsaber and began with the large group of Sith to her left.

The group of four had cleared the entire camp out with not serious injuries and blood stained clothing. They stood by a puddle where Mandalore was washing off his armor. "There's the tomb," Atton said, stating the obvious. The mammoth doorway dwarfed the trees round it, and intimidated Mira somewhat. _A lot of enemies can be in there_, she thought.

Atton took a step forward to press onwards, but Visas stopped him. "We must stay where we are," she said. "Place the mines you collected from the cave on the walkway so they will be crippled somewhat before they can attack us."

"_Lay_ them?" Atton asked in shocked. "Hey, it took _forever_ to just pick them up. Laying mines is even more tricky than picking them up." "Fine," Mira said annoyed. "Gimme that damn stealth field generator and _I'll_ do it."

"Well we might as well jump off a cliff," Mandalore said, "because with this constant bitching we'll never clear anything." Atton and Mira looked at him. Mandalore never spoke like that to them. He usually talked in the communications room or speak to Seth a few times a day. He never interacted with any of the other crew. Mandalore turned to Mira. "You're not even supposed to be here." Mira opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't. "If we just shut up and run up there, we might be able to get inside the tomb. I'm sure they won't follow us inside."

Mandalore gripped his weapons. He turned around, and all three could feel him giving them a stern look like how an old teacher looks at a dunce.

"We should get them to come at us," Mandalore said. Mira, Visas, nor Atton knew who he talking to. He reached for plasma grenade at his belt. Mandalore set it off and threw it as far as he could. He drew a rugged looking repeating blaster out.

"Ranged weapons until we can cut them down," he instructed. The team drew their blasters and got ready as they saw numerous Sith soldiers and Dark Jedi running. "Dark Jedi…" Atton breathed. He'd never seen this many in his life.

Mandalore didn't flinch like Mira and Atton did at the sight of all the Dark Jedi. It was as if he'd seen them before. They wanted to flee or at least run back a bit, but Mandalore didn't move. Mira's hand was directly on her lightsaber as she saw the red blades coming closer and gaining speed. As they were fifty meters away and closing, Mira threw her blaster back into his holster as Visas, Mandalore, and Atton were already firing as fast as the guns would shoot. She drew out her lightsaber and threw herself out of small line of defense and began to strike hard the Sith troopers.

Visas took out her blade and followed Mira out and began to take on a Dark Jedi. The Dark Jedi put his hand up into air and Visas felt an electric shock spread throughout her body—he'd used Force Lightning.

Her body was weakened, so she took away some of his stamina using a power she learned way back that was called Force Drain. It illuminated an orangish light from her hand, and spread to the Dark Jedi. Visas took her lightsaber and thrust it at him and he fell within a few seconds.

Mandalore was taking down a lot of Sith soldiers as Atton and Mira made their way to the tomb slowly. Their robes were full of blood and wetness from the Dxun grass. It was drizzling as they fought their way towards the tomb entrance, and the wetness began to get to Mira.

After an hour of bloody fighting, they were finally in the clear. They'd reached the entrance. It was clear in the interior and cold also. It was a large stone structure with doors leading inside. They stopped to rest and then began to continue on again.

Mandalore took the lead, Visas followed, and Atton and Mira brought up the rear. Their weapons were always at the ready, especially now when they were opening the door to the interior of the tomb.

Two lightsaber-wielding Sith appeared. They were a challenge for the four, even though the Sith were clearly outmatched for once. All of a sudden, blaster shots began to fly at the four.

Atton was the first to take about five shots before he could get out of range. Mira took two before deflecting the rest and running towards Atton. Mandalore was protected because of his armor, and Visas had ducked out of sight.

Mandalore picked up a lightsaber from a dead Sith Jedi and began to cut down the assailants. He disappeared from sight out of the doors.

The team wasn't in very good conditions: Atton was clutching his side where 3 shots had hit him around the same place, Mira was admiring her bloody robes, and Visas was thinking of what to do next.

About fifteen minutes later, Mandalore had reappeared. Everyone was sitting on the floor save Atton who was lying down. "Damn Sith are everywhere," Mandalore said. "We've got a window to get out." He looked at Atton's wounds. "Go back to the Ebon Hawk." Atton nodded wearily as he got up. _He must be in some pain_, Mira thought as she watched him stand up.

"I'll take him," she said as she stood. "You know—so he doesn't die or fall apart." Atton didn't argue at this. _So he doesn't argue when close to unconsciousness_? Mira mused. She helped Atton up with Mandalore and helped him support his weight. "My men'll meet you back at the cave and will help you the rest of the way," Mandalore said.

Mira gave an affirmative nod and proceeded with Atton out of the tomb at a steady but fast pace. They proceeded out the door and Mandalore watched them until they disappeared from sight. He then turned to Visas who was sitting down and seemed to be meditating. "Let's go so we can get off this rock," he said.

Visas stood and drew her lightsaber. "Be prepared for anything that might come for us," she said. "There will be things inside here that haven't been touched for centuries—or until now. Be wary of the Sith and their ways." _You're a Sith, girl_, Mandalore thought as he followed Visas through the doorway to the interior of the tomb.

* * *

_Damn, I want this to be _my_ tomb_, Mandalore thought as he admired the size of the tomb. He and Visas had already cleared the main areas of the tomb. They had just gotten from the left alcove where a computer console was. Mandalore had opened large doors that were in the main area of the tomb and they were already proceeding through them. 

Visas's grip on her lightsaber tightened as they saw more Sith awaiting them. A general and a few soldiers were awaiting them. The pair rushed at them at the speed that their bodies would allow them. They were tiring a bit, but both of them knew that they'd make it out alright.

There were three men in front of them with lightsabers now. They were wearing strange masks, and were standing in front of the actual burial chamber. A strange light was flowing from the crypt. There was a pool of still water in the center, a statue, and various baskets and storage containers scattered round.

"Break the ritual," the masked guy in the center said. "You are too late. We have set in cycle events that cannot be reversed." Though you could not see Mandalore's eyes, he gave the masked man a quizzical look. He was wearing black, like all the Sith seemed to. His mask was grey and the mouth curiously moved when he talked. _Maybe it's not a mask_? Visas wondered.

The masked man suddenly spoke to Visas. "You," he said sharply. "You are strong in the Force, and are full of much anger. You harbor many feelings, and many I can read. Though you are blind, you see brilliantly. Your memories are terrible, but your future can be bigger than whatever you are now."

"But that I do not know," Visas said. "You can _become_ something," he said again. "By allying myself with you I can unlock the greater mysteries of the Force and gain more knowledge of the Force itself?" Visas asked him. He nodded eagerly. "Yes," he said. "Tell me something: how do _you_ know this is right?" she asked. "How is this right for your destiny?"

"You are a Miraluka, are you not?" he said. Visas reeled back a bit, because nobody talked to her about her past, let alone her race. "You will collide with fate eventually," she said.

"Come to the dark side of the Force," the masked man said. "You will learn many things from my master." "I am my own to ally," Visas said. "I have a master, and I needn't two." She drew her lightsaber. "Whatever you have put into cycle, _my_ master can stop." The blade came out of the hilt and she sliced the leader of the group.

* * *

The Ebon Hawk finally appeared from the Dxun pathway. Mandalore and Visas silently boarded. Mandalore went to the communications room, and Visas returned to her normal place. She sat on the floor and concentrated. But her mind was elsewhere, and meditation could not come to her, which was a first in a long time. Instead, she shut the door and lay on one of the beds—armor and all. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, and she could not explain for anything why she was this way.

* * *

I hope this chapter is alright. I've got mixed feelings about it. 


	7. At the Palace

The Handmaiden ran alongside the wall by the small group of Sith with boma. She threw up her hood and stared at Seth's lightsaber in her hand. Hesitation gripped her, but the Handmaiden had the hilt come out and she ran to the group of Sith. She cut them down instantly.

Seth grinned from a corner. _She's training well_, he thought as he ran up next to her. _Forgot Kreia's here_. Kreia was _walking_ behind them. The group of three was on the way to the main terminal.

The Handmaiden stared at the dead Sith and boma; she put the lightsaber back on her belt and began to walk onwards. "You might want that in your hands," Seth said. The Handmaiden reached for it at this statement. "You never know when they're going to attack."

The group walked until they reached a door and met more enemies. The process began over again. The Handmaiden would take on the enemies, but Seth would step in if he noticed she had difficulty. He noticed Kreia never made an effort with the lightsaber he'd given her. It was always slung at her belt; she always used a vibroblade.

They finally reached the main terminal to find the nice Twi'lek who helped them at the Iziz cantina tapping the controls. He had sprung numerous traps on them like poison gas, exploding terminals, and sending reinforcement troops.

Seth glared at him. "_You_!" he asked. "You almost had me_ killed_." Seth stared at the dead Sith the Handmaiden and he had dispatched. "What are you doing working with _them_?"

In his native tongue, the Twi'lek replied they'd offered him a good amount of money and that he didn't know that Seth was there. _Just a bunch of excuses_, Seth thought, shutting the Twi'lek out. _This is a waste of time_. "Just…get…out…" Seth said slowly. _There is no emotion_… his thoughts said in his ear. _The Handmaiden needs to see mercy…_ He closed his eyes briefly. The Twi'lek stared.

"_Go_," Seth said firmly. The Twi'lek thanked him and ran from the room. Seth fumed a bit as he tapped the console. "That act…" the Handmaiden started.

"It was mercy," Seth said. "He didn't mean it as he said." The Handmaiden looked blankly at the console for a few moments. "Why have you an abundance of mercy?" Kreia piped up. _Oh, so she talks but not fights_? Seth thought, a bit annoyed.

"_Mercy_?" Seth asked. "He _apologized_, didn't he?" Kreia gave a bit of a wry smile. "Oh, Exile…" she said with a bit of a chuckle in her voice. "I _know_ your emotions would have gotten the best of you if your…_pupil_ was not present." Seth stared at the console.

"You would've killed him?" the Handmaiden asked astonished. Seth ignored her. _Why must she know my emotions_? He thought, remembering Atton's mind-shielding speech. It was the best advice he'd gotten off Atton since Peragus, anyway. Seth started to count the number of times the console beeped. Kreia was silent for a few minutes before Seth was finished and they left in silence.

There was a sudden crash and a blade-against-blade sound coming from the throne room, which made Seth and the Handmaiden pick up to a run. Kreia was still walking.

They reached the throne room entrance to see the Queen and Vaklu fighting with swords. But the gigantic beast and General Tobin were in the way. "Move, Tobin," Seth commanded.

Tobin cackled. "_Move_? You cannot possibly think you can save Onderon, for the job has already been filled."

"You've been warned," Seth said with a stern, sober face. The Handmaiden remained silent; Kreia caught up with the group. The moments of silence after Seth's words were filled with anger.

"_Move_," he said again. Tobin neither spoke nor moved. He blinked. _Onderon is hanging by a thread and you're waiting for some Sith to move_, Seth thought to himself. He didn't care anymore. He set out his hand and put Tobin in stasis and plunged his lightsaber in the gigantic beast.

The Loyalist troops proceeded into the throne room. The Loyalists and Separatists began to clash at once. Seth ran into the action and walked right up the Vaklu and Talia.

"You lust for power," Talia said. "Well _I_ am fit for ruling Onderon, Talia," Vaklu said. "And I'm afraid that the time of your reign is coming to a close." They spoke like this for awhile, and Seth didn't understand why. _Either fight or have your conversation_.

Kavar appeared suddenly; Talia noticed this and Vaklu struck her slightly. Blood appeared from the spot on her cheek. "She's the queen, damn it!" Seth shouted. The Handmaiden was close in step, but Kreia stayed back a bit.

Vaklu looked up from his fight. He watched Seth come up to him and draw Vash's lightsaber.

"A _Jedi_?" Vaklu laughed. "And his personal kath hound." He looked at the Handmaiden. Both she and Seth wore angry faces. "How can you just come and expect to destroy the Onderon government without a challenge?" Seth asked.

Vaklu nodded. "Indeed I did. But I did not expect _two_ Jedi." Kavar sunk back a bit, not wanting to be caught in warfare. "Are you going to sit back there and play Pazaak, Kavar, or help?" Seth asked as the hilt of Vash's lightsaber glowed yellow. He struck at Vaklu, who blocked with his vibroblade.

The Handmaiden watched, enchanted by the action, wondering if she could wield a lightsaber like that. She jumped a bit when Seth took her lightsaber from her hand and cut Vaklu's arm off from his elbow down.

Vaklu screamed in pain and Seth watched him fall. "_Mercy_," Vaklu said. Seth stared him in the eyes. The Handmaiden's lightsaber went off and he threw it to the floor. He drew Master Vash's and held it. The yellow friendly glowed among the broken soldiers and rebels. "You have destroyed _enough_," Seth said. Kavar looked at Seth, knowing some part of the Mandalorian Wars came out in him.

Seth stooped to the broken Vaklu's level. "See this lightsaber?" he asked rhetorically. "It's from Korriban. It's not from a friend, but an ally." He stared into Vaklu's eyes. "An ally killed by _Sith_." He paused. "Master Vash was in hiding on Korriban, but the Sith murdered her. Although she was no best friend, she was an ally of some sort."

The Handmaiden went to get her borrowed lightsaber off this ground. She watched intently, wondering what Seth would do.

"But mercy to a Sith?" Seth asked. "Never." He spoke the final words and decapitated Vaklu on the spot. The Handmaiden stared in shock, thinking Seth was full of much more mercy than that. Kreia didn't comment and Kavar just stared.

_For Vash_, Seth thought, _although she showed me no mercy_. He then looked up at the Handmaiden and Kreia and motioned for them to go.

But Kavar stepped in his pathway. "Can we speak for a moment?" he asked. Seth nodded, sensing a lecture. Kavar led Seth away into a room, stepping over the occasional body.

"The girl," he said right away once the door was shut, "is apprehensive." Seth stared at him blankly. "She needs guidance, _not_ displays of anger."

"Displays of _anger_?" Seth asked. "Vaklu needed to be killed! He practically wiped Onderon from the Republic—he _wanted_ to kill all those people."

"_You_ wanted to kill Vaklu," Kavar said plainly. He took a breath. "The girl needs guidance on the light side," he said again. "She needs to be disciplined, and taught _everything_ in the ways of the _Jedi_." Kavar's eyes were smiling slightly. "And I don't know how she entrusted her training with _you_," he teased. Seth gave a bit of a smile to this. Kavar might be a bit strange, but he always had a sense of humor.

* * *

The Dxun jungle surrounding the Ebon Hawk was becoming all too familiar. The Handmaiden was lagging a bit, and Kreia was already on the ship. Seth had waited with Mandalore to get his priorities in order before leaving again and the Handmaiden stopped to practice on cannoks.

Seth looked at the jungle before going on the loading ramp of the ship. There was a slight wind that moved his hair; the heat made Seth perspire more than usual. He had thrown off the cloak of his Jedi robes on the ground.

The Handmaiden emerged from the green and came next to where Seth stood. "The events at the palace had me slightly confused," she said. "You've always displayed _Jedi_ attributes—mercy, love, forgiveness." She stopped after that sentence, not knowing what to say.

Seth sighed and turned to her. "Some people seem beyond hope, and then you start to give up on them. The brutal truth is that not everyone can be saved. It's the same way with illness, a colony gets sick and some die."

"But what about Revan?" the Handmaiden asked. "He was _Revan_…and he found atonement."

"Revan and Vaklu are different," Seth explained. "I thought, at that time, Vaklu was beyond hope. I thought, at that time, he was better off dead." He paused and looked at her. "And that's exactly how Atris feels about me."

The Handmaiden opened her mouth to say more, but Seth turned away and began to walk onto the Ebon Hawk.

* * *

Seth sat in the main hold. The hum of the hyperdrive, the beeping of T3, and the silence of the ship was the only sounds Seth could hear save his own breathing. It was late, and he found himself sleepless again. He needed the sleep. The Ebon Hawk was going to Dantooine. They were almost there, and Atton would wake up, land the ship, and go back to sleep.

But Seth was the reason they were going there. The rendezvous was set for the next day, meaning there was an idle day in between the landing and when Seth went to meet the Masters. He decided he'd begin some training with Mira and the Handmaiden, probably play some Pazaak with Atton to burn up some time too.

But his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about the Onderon palace. Even though the event was quick and not that big, it was huge to him. It replayed in his head, but some part of Seth was glad he'd killed Vaklu. He'd saved people energy and thoughts by killing Vaklu.

He heard some stirring, and figured it was Bao-Dur working on the ship. Footsteps on the metallic floor grew louder as the person approached the main hold. Seth slouched in the chair, not welcoming human contact.

The footsteps stopped abruptly behind him. Seth turned to see Visas standing in the doorway. _What, she doesn't sleep either_? He thought agitated. "Do you have trouble sleeping?" Visas asked.

_It's a bit obvious_. "Yes," Seth said. "I can help you," she said. "I can teach you a way to meditate to ease yourself, not control the Force." Seth was a bit skeptic of this.

Visas was standing in the doorway still. "If you want to learn, just go in the cargo hold." She turned and left

_I need some sleep_, Seth thought. "Hey, Visas, wait…"

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the very long delay in updates. I guess I could say I was in one of those clichéd ruts writers sometimes get in? Nah. XD Anyways, expect more updates frequently. Sorry for shortness... 


	8. Lessons

Seth woke up lying spread eagle in the cargo hold. He heard the wind, birds, and peace of Dantooine coming from the open loading ramp. _What time is it_? Seth scratched his head as he woke up. He and Visas had meditated until he collapsed over in sleep.

Seth looked around the cargo hold and got up and went to the food supplies. He pick out some vegetables and opened the bag they were in. He shoved them down his throat; he didn't realize his hunger before. Seth popped open a bottle of water and chugged the entire thing in less than thirty seconds. He discarded the wrappings and bottle in a plasteel cylinder and left the cargo hold.

Seth combed his hair with his fingers as he proceeded into the main hold. He found Mira leaning on her elbow with the most bored expression on her face. She was playing Pazaak with Atton. Atton was staring at the cards and glancing at his own. _He's just wasting time_, Seth thought as he passed them.

Atton and Mira didn't look up at him. "Have fun last night?" Atton asked; Mira sniggered. "Very funny," Seth said as he sat in one of the chairs. "Don't worry, your girlfriend's still here." Seth rolled his eyes. He avoided the bombardment of senseless insults from Atton by leaving the main hold right away and going to Kreia's dormitory.

He stood in the doorway as she meditated. "You have questions?" she asked, her eyes closed, her position still intact. "Yes," Seth said.

"The Miraluka is meditating," Kreia told him. She stood up. "You are spending too much time with her." Seth stared. "Training, meditation, what does it mean to you? You must _focus_. The Miraluka spreads a danger _unthinkable_."

"Uh…" Seth said, at a loss for words. _She randomly speaks of Visas_? He thought. _This woman most defiantly has problems_. Kreia began to speak again. "And do not mate with her—" she began to rant again.

"_Hold_ on," Seth said. "What the hell did you just say? It's not like I'm going to go…" He paused. "Go charging up her loading ramp!" He said this bit too loud; for he heard laughter from the main hold.

"Why do you give a damn about what I do anyways?" Seth asked. "'Cause if you're interested, well, let's just say I'd rather fall into a volcano." Kreia gave him a harsh, black look. "_Hey_ I'm just trying to lighten the mood…"

"_Enough_," Kreia said. "Return to your _Padawans_." She said it as if Atton, Mira, the Handmaiden, and Bao-Dur were filth.

Seth exited, avoided the main hold, and went outside the Ebon Hawk. _One day to burn up_, he thought. Normally he'd have some Juma with Atton in a cantina if there was time to waste, but Khoonda was too fresh to have a cantina up and running. All that Khoonda boasted was Master Vrook, and that in itself was nothing special. It, frankly, was nothing at all.

The grass was a bit taller and the wild had settled since the last time Seth was here. He walked up on a bluff and watched Khoonda in the sunlight, knowing that it had a future brighter than the Tatooine suns.

He began to think of everything that had happened to him so far. Seth involuntarily pulled out Vash's lightsaber and engaged the hilt so it glowed a bright yellow. _She can live on. Even though she is dead, her lightsaber will still be in the hands of a Jedi. _The words echoed inside Seth's mind. Those words from Visas were hard to forget.

_Am I _really_ a Jedi or is this just some kind of hoax_? Seth wondered. _Is this really getting towards the endgame, or has my story just begun_? He stared out on the hills. _What if I see Revan again? It's sure been awhile…_

His thoughts wandered for about an hour, but it seemed geological ages. Seth just sat there, thinking. He never had thought like this during the entire journey, and he realized he needed it more than he needed Kreia's lectures, Atton's Pazaak, the Handmaiden's sparring lessons, Visas words of wisdom, Mira's training, Mandalore's stories…anything. _Sometimes I'm better by myself_, he thought. _But…_ He stopped cold with the thoughts of a companion or companions. He thought of his Padawans, who he knew he'd have to leave behind for a new life of solitude with Revan, if he could find him.

* * *

"I have seen the way you influence him," the Handmaiden said. "It was _you_ who inspired his outburst at the Onderon palace."

"I have no idea of what you speak of," Visas said. "Influencing him would be difficult. Even you have sensed his headstrong ways and will to follow the light." The Handmaiden gave no reply.

"_You_ have inspired it somehow." She was firm in her blame. "Inspiration. Influence. They are subjects that nobody can explain. One is affected by influence if one desires to be like another," Visas said. "Let me ask you a simple question: Why would Seth want follow my path? What have I done to deserve recognition in anybody's, let alone his eyes?"

"I have you seen you and him," the Handmaiden said. "And I have seen what you do to him. I heard you two meditating late last night." The Handmaiden could feel a cold stare from Visas beneath her veil. "Do not cast blame as Atton does," she said. "Are _you _influenced by him?"

"I am_ not_ influenced by Atton," the Handmaiden said defensively. "You—you have been part of the _enemy_ and I still cannot fathom how he trusts you."

"You speak the truth," Visas said calmly, but with a bit of shame. "My master used—" "_Your_ master? The _Sith_ master?" the Handmaiden interrupted. "So you still have a master, a _Sith_ master. You tried to _kill_ him!"

"There is truth in your words," Visas said in the calm tone again. "_But_ I have learned much from Seth. His presence here is for my growth in knowledge, and so I can find peace within myself and outside."

The Handmaiden stopped. _She's pretty good at _lying_ or just plain telling the truth_, she thought, not knowing if these thoughts made any sense. Then there was a silence; a silence so awkward, both wanted to depart from the other's presence.

"Sister of the Echani," Visas said, which made the Handmaiden flinch slightly. "Please tell me…what does Seth look like?"

"Well," said the Handmaiden, "he has a beautifully toned body. His lightsaber movements appear flawless, and his reflexes are superb. But this is only in battle. His hair is dark, and somewhat wavy but always stays in the same place. His eyes are a deep brown, and have so much life to them. Eyes tell all emotions, or at least that's what I was told many times. And it is true for Seth's. He is always wearing green Jedi robes and has two lightsabers slung round his waist. His posture says he is of the light. He does not stand with anger or pride, but with humility and love for everything that lives. His hands command the Force so flawlessly, it's as if he was commanding the Force in infancy before he could speak.

"His nature towards others in conversation says he will have compassion. His body language and way of talking mimic the ones of my mistress. He does not have regrets about what he is doing now, and he hungers for more answers, as everyone does. Part of him is confused, but the other part wants to blaze onward. This part drives him to the depths of the ocean for someone, to the highest mountain, to the driest desert… He would do so much for a stranger, when I cannot do that much for my mistress."

After she finished, the Handmaiden seemed dejected just a bit. "Thank you," Visas said quietly. There was another silence.

"Do not worry, Sister of the Echani," Visas said. "If Seth is like your mistress like you have told me, she will forgive you."

Both looked about the main hold, hoping the other would say something. "I should return to my meditations," the Handmaiden said, even though she didn't meditate a lot. Visas nodded and agreed she should too. They departed company and Visas walked back to her dormitory.

After Visas left, Mira emerged from a hallway. "What _were_ you two bitching about?" she asked bluntly. "You were listening!" The Handmaiden asked in surprise. "How dare you listen to a private…." "A private argument?" Mira said. "Look, it's okay. I don't tell anybody anything around here anyway, so it's not like you have to worry."

The Handmaiden was still a bit nervous at Mira overhearing the entire thing. "So _what_ was the hot topic?" Mira asked again as she sat down in one of the chairs. The Handmaiden didn't reply. "_Oh_," Mira said. "I knew anyways." Mira began to bite her fingernails.

"If you want a man, just jab him with a Bothan stunner," she said. Mira then sat up as if she remembered something she had to do. "Then, slap some stun cuffs on him." Mira stood. "Then, after a few days of starvation, double check his bounty, and then see if he's open for suggestion." Mira began to walk away. "That sounds more like hunting," the Handmaiden said.

Mira turned back to her, almost out of the main hold, and said, "Call it what you want. But me, I love my targets." Mira turned on her heel and left the main hold before the Handmaiden could ask, "But don't you kill them?"

* * *

Seth stared out onto the Dantooine hills. _Something _must_ be at least accomplished today_, he thought. _Training, perhaps_? He turned on his comlink.

Atton eventually answered. There was little static as Seth spoke. "Get up off your lazy ass, Rand, and gather the Jedi crew. We're meeting outside Khoonda"

Atton quizzically looked at Seth. "Uh," he said. "Okay, I'll do that."

"Right away, okay?" Seth said.

"Okay, okay," Atton said automatically and snapped off the comlink. It appeared he had been asleep.

Seth put his comlink away in the bag he always had round his waist and stood up from the hills. Stealing one last glance, at the peaceful landscape, he proceeded down the bluff he was sitting on and went to Khoonda to meet up with his Padawans.

Seth arrived late at the scene. All was silent except Atton who was yawning and Bao-Dur who was fiddling with his lightsaber crafting. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground with various pieces scattered by his feet. He held a precision tool for lightsaber crafting he had made himself, or gotten who-knows-where. The Handmaiden was leaning idly up against the outer walls of Khoonda and Visas stood at attention. Mira was looking at her fingernails and occasionally biting one.

Seth cleared his throat and the group looked up at him. "Let's get started," he said. "Just pair off and start sparring hand-to-hand. Then we'll move up to swords."

"Will we incorporate lightsabers eventually?" Atton asked.

The group eyed each other. Atton and Bao-Dur agreed to spar; Visas, the Handmaiden, and Mira looked at each other. _Handmaiden over there is pretty good at this kind of thing. But then again Miraluka is pretty good at _anything_. Hell, I might as well fight a krayt. At least you can use blasters_, Mira thought.

Silence was present for a few minutes before Seth said, "_Okay_, Mira and the Handmaiden can go together. So I guess that just leaves Visas and me."

The Handmaiden and Mira stepped in front of each other, as did Atton, Bao-Dur, Visas, and Seth. All got in a ready position and began.

The sound of bruises and blocked picks and punches sounded throughout the Khoonda plains. A few of the militia watched, but then grew tired.

Atton and Bao-Dur were the first done, who called a draw after Atton hit Bao-Dur in the eye and Bao-Dur gave Atton a kick in the stomach. Both sat on the grass and watched, not very eager to beat each other up.

Seth and Visas were out next. Despite both had gone for a long time and had the stamina to, they just didn't want to whittle away their energy doing hand-to-hand.

Mira and the Handmaiden kept going about a half an hour after everyone else had finished. Mira, determined not to be beaten by a crazy shut-in who was a personal kath hound to Force-knows-who, and the Handmaiden, pushed by the reputation of the best hand-to-hand fighter of the entire crew, were both growing weary.

Mira was delivering a flurry of punches, hoping to hit the Handmaiden's eye. The Handmaiden saw the opportunity and gave Mira swift kick on the back of her knees. Mira felt her knees buckle, and fell to the ground. "Okay," she said. "You win…you win…"

Seth got up from his seat with the others as he watched the Handmaiden and Mira fight. "Again," he said.

Mira gaped at him. "_Again_?" she said in disbelief. "I'm sitting this one out."

Seth sighed. "Okay, Atton and Bao-Dur keep going—you work well. So, I guess it's Visas versus the Handmaiden."

"What about you?" the Handmaiden asked.

"I've got to sit this one out," Seth said. "What's the point in training the trained?"

The Handmaiden shrugged as she looked at where Visas's eyes are beneath her crimson veil. She stared into the crimson with fire in her eyes.

"I'll throw in some swords about halfway through so be alert," Seth said. And the sparring began again.

Bao-Dur and Atton were the same as before—pretty casual fighting that could be considered a brawl from a cantina and too much Juma. They got the occasional beat, but most of it was swift blocking. Atton threw off the cloak from his Jedi robe next to where Seth was seated and took on Bao-Dur like a real opponent.

The fire in the Handmaiden's eye was still lit. Even though their argument had seemed to end on a pretty good note, an unrest was still within her. _I will _not_ let a Sith defeat the light_, she thought. The Handmaiden made swift movements, and used advanced moves from the highest of the tiers.

Visas parried her blows and dodged with a speed. The Handmaiden guessed she was using the Force to make herself move faster. The Handmaiden quickened her pace, and hit Visas on the arm.

The sparring continued, and Atton was ready to give up after a number of bruises appearing beneath his robes, and Bao-Dur was getting anxious to get back to his machines. The Handmaiden and Visas continued in a fierce fight, for some reason. Then the swords came.

Visas grasped hers tightly in her gloved hands. She struck at the Handmaiden with expertise form, and the Handmaiden barely parried all of Visas's strikes and flurries of attacks. Atton and Bao-Dur were doing the typical sparring with swords—basic formations and attacks with parried attacks all the time.

"Keep up the good work," Seth said, looking at the Handmaiden and Visas. _He's looking at her_! The Handmaiden thought, becoming fierce with jealousy. Visas kept plowing her down with attacks.

"_Must_ you try and beat me, but do it and make me look like a child with a vibroblade?" the Handmaiden whispered fiercely. "I simply try," Visas said as she unleashed another attack that the Handmaiden blocked successfully. "It is all he asks." "Then so will I," the Handmaiden said. She retreated a few steps backward and began her offence that Visas blocked. _If only I had two swords_, the Handmaiden wished as she blocked a strike from Visas. The Handmaiden struck, Visas blocked it. This process went on for awhile.

Atton and Bao-Dur, bruised and banged up, stopped and returned to the Ebon Hawk after watching the two spar for what seemed hours. Mira went with them to sleep.

_Don't they tire_? Seth wondered. He looked at the setting sun and knew he'd need sleep. "Okay, that's good," he said. "Good to know you've both got endurance."

Visas lowered her sword, and the Handmaiden felt the irresistible temptation to cut her down right then and there. But she refrained from throwing her emotions everywhere, and handed her vibroblade to Seth.

He nodded his head toward the Ebon Hawk. "Go back and get some rest," he said.

The Handmaiden and Visas started to walk back, but Seth hung back a little just by leaning on the building of Khoonda. "Why aren't you coming?" the Handmaiden asked. Seth shrugged and stood up. "You know…going on a walk…" he said. Both girls turned around and headed back towards: Visas was lagging behind and the Handmaiden was walking quickly.

Seth watched them disappear into the landing pad. He then turned around walked towards the plains. It was getting dark outside, and the sun was setting beautifully. He climbed a hill and sat underneath a tree where there was a wreckage of a swoop bike.

The sun was a beautiful red, and the clouds above it yellow, pink, purple, orange, and red. The brilliance soon faded into a blackened sky illuminated by hundreds of tiny stars. Seth stared up at them.

_You'll be traveling there tomorrow_, he thought, knowing what he had to do tomorrow. The Jedi enclave beckoned him.


	9. Beyond the Veil

Seth woke up early, despite he'd gone to sleep the last. He'd only gotten fistfuls of rest, but felt no side effects.

He sat up in bed, noticing that Atton, Bao-Dur, and Mandalore were still asleep. Seth grabbed the cloak from his Jedi robes he'd thrown on the floor carelessly the previous night before he went into a restless sleep.

Seth hoped no one else was awake, for he wanted to go to the Jedi enclave and meet the Masters there, and then leave after discussing plans and such on how to stop the Sith and whatever plan they had put in motion.

He walked over to the dormitory door and opened it. It noiselessly, which surprised Seth.

He closed the door behind him as he proceeded out into the main hold to find it empty, save G0-T0. Seth realized he never really interacted with nor gave the droid a chance. But after the statement of it blowing up if disabled, he was afraid to even touch it.

Seth walked a bit faster when he got by the communications room. He went into the cockpit and lowered the loading ramp of the Ebon Hawk.

He picked up his pace again as he neared the garage and short hallway to the ladies' dormitory.

The fresh air of Dantooine met his face, and the smell of prairie and grass met his nostrils. A brief wind swept by him as he walked off the landing pad and into the Khoonda plains.

His walk was steady, and his heart beating a bit faster than he thought it would. _Together again since how many years_? Seth thought. There were no kinrath present, since the entire team killed them all either while traveling or for training on their own. And sooner than he expected, he heard the crackle of the fire at the salvager's camp.

Tents were set up round the fire, but nobody was outside tending it. The morning air was fresh, and full of dew. It was so clear here, and Seth understood why the Jedi choose this place for an enclave, despite the planet's lack of excitement. And even though the planet was boring, Seth found it comforting in a way he could not describe.

The sun had barely risen as he rounded the corner to the Jedi enclave. He jumped a bit when he saw all the stones in their right places—it was rebuilt! Seth looked down towards the door to the ground level and walked towards it with a strange speed. The door was alive. He opened it, and walked inside, feeling that someone was next to him, but he could not see anyone.

The sight was saddening: weeds and vines had clawed their way through wreckage and over the doorway. Seth brushed them out of the way. There was once grass along the pathway, but now it was just a weed patch. The gigantic tree in the center of it all was full of vines, weeds, and various plants that found life within it. It was dead, of course, with a wad of stick on it, which, Seth guessed, was an old bird's nest washed away by years of rain.

Seth drew his lightsaber and cut away the vines from the various doorways and went down each. He found a long hallway, when a corpse of an old Jedi Knight. The stink of the place with the smell of rotting flesh and overgrown vegetation overwhelmed Seth somewhat. He set out his hand and the body instantly caught flames. _Rest_, he thought. He did not search the body.

There was another hallway, but it too was collapsed. No other bodies could be found in the ground level of the enclave, so Seth went to a pair of closed doors.

Like the entrance to the level, they were alive somehow. He opened them, and there stood the three Jedi Masters. "I've come," Seth said.

Vrook, Zez-Kai-El, and Kavar just stared. "We were wondering when you'd come," Kavar started. "We have been discussing the situation, and have decided upon it."

"Upon what?" Seth asked. _I thought this was the time where we talk about strategies on how to rebuild the Order, not on the situation…whatever that is_.

"Why have you come?" Vrook asked in his usual barking tone. "So we can rebuild the Order," Seth said, "and for answers. I need to know why I was exiled. I saw the holovid of my sentencing—and you discussed something. What is it?"

Zez-Kai-El looked pensive. "Ah, we were wondering if you would inquire about this," he said.

"Haven't you wondered why you are a leader?" Vrook asked. "Haven't you even _thought_ about how the ones that follow you are so obedient?" He gave Seth a somewhat angry look. _Typical Vrook_. "Did you think your charisma or personality had anything to do with it? It is the Force!"

"What Vrook is saying is that you form bonds through the Force with the ones around you, and they will follow you to their deaths if needed," Kavar explained. "This is a dangerous ability, and can cause much destruction, especially if you turn to the dark side."

"I'm not going to the dark side," Seth said defiantly. "I've seen it before," Vrook started. "A Padawan swears on their own life that they will never turn to the dark side, but some have. They have no idea about how strong the lure of the dark side it. It targets your weakness and preys on it. You must be strong enough—"

"Not to have any weaknesses?" Seth interrupted, getting a bit frustrated. "I didn't get myself almost blasted to gather up your three to get another trial. I _thought_ we'd talk about how to rebuild the Order. Now, I've got a few Padawans who—"

"_Padawans_?" Vrook too his turn to interrupt Seth. "You cannot train, let alone a Jedi." "What Vrook means is that we have decided that it is too dangerous to leave you connected with the Force and having the ones around you follow you until their deaths," Zez-Kai-El said calmly. "You are a wound in the Force because of Malachor V." "You can kill," Kavar said. "You can be death—even the death of the Force."

Seth took a deep breath, trying to ignore what he just heard. Thoughts jumped into his head. _A wound? The death of the Force?_ Then, he realized he would lose the Force. _I lived without the Force, so I can again_. He knew he couldn't. He'd just adapted to putting out his hand and moving objects, summoning them, using a lightsaber, and using the Force in combat. "So you're going to sever me from the Force?" he asked. Kavar nodded. None spoke. "It will be painless and fast," Zez-Kai-El said.

Seth felt a heavy feeling inside. He nodded, his eyes tiring suddenly. He got down on his knees and lowered his head. "If the Council believes it is necessary," he said, choking on the words, "then go ahead."

The three Masters nodded one after another. They each set out their hands and Seth was caught in stasis.

"_Enough_!" said a sudden voice behind Seth. He was unable to turn. "He was brought you knowledge and you turn away. Such _ignorance_," the voice said. It was Kreia. _How the hell did she get here_?

"_You_," Zez-Kai-El said. "I thought you died in the Mandalorian Wars," Kavar said.

"_Died_?" Kreia asked with a bit of a taunting tone. "No. Became _stronger_? Yes." There was angry glances cast; Seth could feel them through the air. Voices continued, blurred. Seth was losing the sharpness of his senses. Suddenly, a jolt of orange light illuminated from behind him and the three Masters fell to the ground as if they were all droids being hit with an electrical shock.

* * *

Visions of peril swirled in the Handmaiden's mind as she meditated in the cargo hold. She found it relaxing, but knew it was essential for any Jedi to meditate. Door closed. Jedi robes on. She was all set.

The visions wouldn't stop. They were of death, of Seth, of the Force. She could not explain them. Her eyes opened fast. _Where is he_? She thought, knowing the danger he was in.

The Handmaiden stood up immediately and went for the door, impatient for the few seconds it took for it to open. She bolted out of the door at a quick walk.

Into the main hold, and right to the cockpit to find Atton asleep. "Atton," she said loudly and hurriedly, "where is Seth?" Atton stirred for a few seconds. "_Atton_," she said again. "_What_!" Atton asked sharply. "_Where is Seth_?" the Handmaiden asked again. "I don't know," he said. "Am I his big brother?" "Damn it," she said, hitting Atton on the back. "Ah, what the hell was that for!" Atton said angrily, giving her a black look. "Where the hell is Seth?" The Handmaiden didn't wait for an answer and walked fast out of the cockpit and into the dormitory Kreia was in. She found it empty. _Oh no_.

She ran back to the cockpit. "Where is Kreia?" "Damn it, how am I supposed to know?" Atton asked. The Handmaiden, in her sudden blind fury, gave him a well-placed kick in the back of his knees. They buckled and he fell the floor. "Just get the hell out," he said, "before I get my lightsaber." The Handmaiden left, knowing she wouldn't get an answer.

The Handmaiden ran through the main hold and off the Ebon Hawk. _Where is he_? She thought to herself, sensing the worst. _Why are you here_? Her mind asked her. The Jedi enclave!

The Handmaiden set off at a fast sprint through the Khoonda plain towards the salvager's camp, still dead save the crackling and dancing of the fire. She came to the enclave and stopped to see it rebuilt, and noticed the open door. She sprinted towards it.

Inside, she found Kreia walking from the hallway opposite her. "He is no more. It is finished," Kreia said directly at her. A whirlwind of emotions swept through the Handmaiden as she drew her lightsaber and engaged the hilt. "Come with me," she said.

Kreia proceeded, a half wry smile on her lips. The Handmaiden pointed her lightsaber at Kreia's back and had her walk towards the exit. "You walk in whatever direction, got it?" the Handmaiden said. She knew that the shopkeeper at Khoonda had a ship because he bragged about it once. She knew that he would give it to her.

* * *

Seth got up and rubbed his head. It throbbed whenever his heart beat. The enclave was empty except for the bodies of the Masters. Seth got up and ran over to Kavar. He turned him over to see he was dead. Seth could no longer feel the Force in his body, let alone anywhere near it. _She's completely wiped the Force away from them_, he thought. He turned over Vrook and Zez-Kai-El to see the same things. _So much for a great, fulfilling journey,_ he thought as the ones he sought lie dead before him. _They deserve a burial_, he thought.

Seth picked up Kavar's body and set it by the tree in the courtyard and did the same to Zez-Kai-El's and Vrook's. He took their lightsabers, knowing that they could be legendary for whatever they did.

He piled a large pile of weeds around and on top of the bodies and put out his hand. A small flame came to life instantly and began to devour up the weeds, and soon, the bodies. Seth watched the only remaining Jedi, save Atris, he knew of be burned. "Help me," he said to the air. _Who will help you? Who's here to save your neck_? He asked himself. The answer was nobody.

The remaining ashes lay in a center of stink and the charred tree. "Rest now," Seth said aloud to the enclave. "The Sith are finished here." He closed his eyes and slowly turned, too one last glance at the lost Jedi enclave and walked to the door.

Seth couldn't process what he had just heard. _A wound in the Force_? The encounter explained a lot to him, and many things finally made sense.

The Ebon Hawk eventually came into sight and Seth ran aboard. He ran straight to the main hold and right into the cockpit to find Atton on all-fours. "Where's Kreia?" Seth asked. Atton looked up. "The Handmaiden—" he started. "She was looking for her. They're going to Telos. The Handmaiden's taking Kreia to Atris—thinks she's got a prisoner." He winced a bit.

"Set a course for Telos," Seth said immediately. Atton stared. He was now standing. "Do it, damnit!" Seth said angrily. He went over to the galaxy map and punched in the coordinates.

Seth kept his eyes closed, but could not meditate. He was in Kreia's old dormitory. He couldn't divert his mind from the Jedi enclave. He suddenly heard footsteps.

"Something is wrong," their owner said. It was Visas. "I can feel it."

"No doubt you can," Seth said, his eyes still closed.

He felt Visas staring, despite she was blind. "I create bonds through the Force," he said slowly, "and other follow me until they die."

"I am not bonded to you by the Force," Visas said. "I am following you only because you spared my life. I will die for you. My life for yours it no lie." Then there was a silence.

"I am a wound in the Force," Seth said. "I can be the death of the Force. The Jedi Masters at the enclave told me—that's where I went early this morning."

Visas stood in the doorway. "Death of the Force? You have brought many life. You have done tasks and such deeds and given a new hope to those in a shadow. You have been the one to change someone's life. You have brought happiness to so many, and I have witnessed these things. If they see death in you, they are wrong."

"On Korriban," Seth said. He was standing now, and facing Visas. "You said that Master Vash's lightsaber would live on in the hands of a true Jedi. Those words have never left me." There was a silence.

"If I can do anything else for you," Visas said, "please alert me. My life for yours." She turned to go. Seth went back into his meditating position. He didn't hear her footsteps fading. She was still standing there. He stood back up.

"Something still troubles you," he said. "I can sense it." Visas's back was to him. "He awaits you at Telos," was all she said.

"Your master?" Seth asked. Visas turned and nodded. "If you go there, you must face him. It is inevitable," she said. There was another silence.

"There is more unrest inside of you, isn't there?" Seth said.

Visas took a deep breath. "Please stay," she said. There was a slight pause between her words. "With me."

"You know I can't," Seth said, not knowing how to answer.

"He is strong—stronger than anything you have faced. I ask you—I beg you—stay here," she said.

Another silence, another breath. "I need to see," she continued. "I need to see _you_. I need to see… what causes the Handmaiden's heart race, her tone to change. I need to look upon you and see."

"I need to see you, too," Seth said. "I want to see your face—without your veil. I need to see you for what you are."

"You know what I am," Visas said. "And I know what you are. But seeing things with one's eyes makes one believe further in something."

"And what do you believe in?"

"You," Visas said.

"And I believe in you," Seth said. "We need to see."

He felt slightly awkward the entirety of the conversation, and the feeling grew as he put his hands on Visas's face and slowly slid her veil off her face. Her eyes were a milky-white color and had no pupil. There was just white. Small locks of brown hair framed her face. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed out.

"I cannot see like you can," Visas said.

She suddenly started to cry. "I do not have your features," she said. "My eyes…"

"I don't care about your eyes," Seth said. "You can't see me physically. You don't know what I even look like. I could resemble a Hutt right down to the last roll of fat and you still wouldn't care." He chuckled dryly. "Hell, I'm jealous of you. You can see someone from their actions and through the Force, and not physically."

There was a silence while Seth had his hands on her shoulders. He looked into her featureless eyes. They fascinated him.

Visas could sense Seth staring at her eyes. Embarrassed, she put her hand over her eyes and tilted her head downwards.

He took his own hand and put it around hers and lifted it off her eyes. "It's okay," he said softly, reassuringly.

Her body seemed to loosen a bit, since it had been rigid with fear. She had a nervous expression on her face. _She's lost_, Seth realized. _She needs someone to help her. And she came to you_.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Seth said. "Don't be, 'cause I'm not going anywhere." He involuntarily started to caress her cheek. _Just like the holovids_, he thought at himself.

"You helped me find the way," Seth said. "I guess we both got something out of this." She nodded. "And…I've been grappling with this the entire time," Seth said. "And I've sorted out that…" He slowed. _Damn it why do I have to talk about _my_ feelings_, _although she really did express hers didn't she_? "…that I need you." That was all he could get out. The rest had to remain inside—for now.

He blinked. She was standing next to him, his hands on her face still. He slowly moved his head until their foreheads met. Seth grinned at her, and she gave a small smile back. Seth then gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

He shook his head, grinning, and said, "I won't lie to you." Visas looked like she had never been happier. "Ever since I heard you," she said, "I wanted to be next to you. I knew that if you had suffered such loss, that I would survive also."

Seth took her hand. "You won't…you know…leave me high and dry will you?" Visas shook her head. "I would never do that," she said. "I will_ never_ leave. As long as you want me in your presence, I will stay." He looked at her.

"You mean it, don't you?" Visas simply nodded.

And he kissed her again with more meaning than the first. _At least I didn't have to express them in words_, Seth thought. He didn't really want to go to Telos anymore.

* * *

Okay, glad that stuff is over... I've never really been a talented romance writer. XP So, review if you want. The only lame excuse I can muster to try to get anybody to review is that it's motivation so I know I'm not writing for air, but I'll finish the fic anyways whether I get a review or not. So, hope at least someone looks forward to an update. 


	10. Return to Telos

Seth jumped. The knock on the door startled him. Visas was meditating, and seemed to be too deep in concentration to hear a blaster fight going on. Seth got up and opened the door.

Atton was in the doorway. "We've landed on Telos…if you've noticed," he said. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Meditating," Seth said, grinning inside. Atton rolled his eyes. "Hey, you're a Jedi now, aren't you? So, start meditating." Atton didn't reply to this, but mutter only to himself as he left to go back to the cockpit.

After Atton left, Seth didn't know what to do about Visas. He couldn't just leave her, but he didn't want to interrupt her. He decided the latter would be better.

Seth took a few steps back towards her and gave her armor a gentle tap. She came out of her meditations. "Yes?" she said right away, like a soldier receiving orders.

"We've landed on Telos," Seth said. "I've got to go stop…" He stopped. She was clueless to the situation. He reached for his belt with his lightsaber. "Where are you going?" Visas asked.

"The Telos academy," Seth quickly explained. "The Handmaiden brought Kreia to Atris 'cause she thinks Kreia killed me back on Dantooine. She thinks that Kreia's a prisoner, and she wants Atris to execute her. Long story—can't explain." He threw off unnecessary items of his belt.

He could feel Visas looking at him, despite she could not see. He turned and looked her directly where her eyes were. "I'll return," he said firmly. He squeezed her hand for reassurance and then sprinted out of the Ebon Hawk.

Seth stopped when he reached the hangar bay entrance, and then began to run again. The academy is empty. He then heard the buzzing and collision of lightsabers. _The Handmaiden_! Seth immediately thought.

There was a small knot of panic in his stomach as he walked up to the chamber where Atris had confronted him. He heard inaudible voices—Atris—and Force Lightning. Then he began to run.

He arrived to see Atris staring at the Handmaiden, who was on her hands and knees. Weakened from Force Lightning, she fell over on her side.

Atris gave a wry smile and a slight chuckle. "So, one exile arrives to save another?" she asked. "What the hell are you doing?" Seth said, his voice loud. It echoed through the caverns and abyss. The bodies of the Handmaiden's sisters lay round him.

Atris drew her lightsaber. "Don't make me do this," Seth said. Atris laughed. "_You_ of all people are avoiding this?" She threw the lightsaber at him.

The blow was hard, and missed Seth. He counterattacked by issuing a flurry of attacks. Atris began to hit him harder and with more force to her attacks. Seth needed to retreat a few steps because she was so driven. It was like she was jumped up on a thousand stimulants.

He turned and ran towards the entrance where he first entered the academy. Seth put up his hand, and Atris fell back a few feet, but instantly got up. She jumped right in front of him. "You can run," she said, "but not fast enough."

_She's going to make me do this_, Seth thought. He set out his hand and Force Lightning erupted from it. Atris was finally disabled and fell. Seth stared at her for a few moments, and then she got up and hobbled back up to her meditation chamber as Seth just watched her run away. He heard the doors slam; the sound echoed throughout the entire empty academy. _The Handmaiden_!

Seth ran up back to where Atris first attacked him. He saw the Handmaiden stirring as he neared her.

Seth watched her stand up with great difficulty. Her lip bled, and she had a slight cut on her left temple. It was nothing serious though. Her robes were blackened a bit by her fight with Atris, and she was clutching her side. She seemed to light up when she saw Seth.

"Th-thank you," she said. Seth stared and ordered, "Go back to the ship." "Atris…" the Handmaiden began. "You can rest up there," Seth said, trying to dodge any conversation while she was obviously in pain.

"You are pained," Seth said. "Go and rest yourself before I have to get an entire squad to come and get you." The Handmaiden turned, seeming a slight bit dejected, and hobbled out. "We'll talk more later," Seth said. He didn't turn to face her.

He continued at a walk to the meditation chamber. "Come to finish me off?" Atris asked. "No," Seth said.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because you can be saved." Seth looked at her. "Don't tell me that I'm wasting my time." He paused. "You can start by telling me what happened to you."

* * *

Seth stood nervously outside the medbay. _She loves you, you know that,_ his mind told him. _How do you say this_? Everything up until this point just seemed to clumsy in some way.

He took a deep breath in and silently exhaled. He shut his eyes, wanting something to drag him away. Seth turned away from door and looked towards the main hold. He jumped a bit when he saw Mira behind him.

She just stared. "Go," she mouthed and nodded her head towards the door. Mira pushed past him and walked off to somewhere he didn't really know nor care to know.

_You're running out of time_, he thought. Something pulled him in the medbay, he knew it. The steps he took were not under his control, and he was in an awkward situation so fast.

"Hey," he said to the Handmaiden. "You doing okay?' She was bandaging her wrist. She nodded. "Fine."

"You want some help?" Seth asked. She nodded. He stooped down to her level where she was sitting on the medbay bed and began to wrap her wrist with the white, cottony bandage.

"I thought you were dead," she began. "Kreia…"

"Nothing about Kreia," Seth said. "She's done enough, and we will find her. We're en route to Citadel to aid them."

"You saved me from Atris," the Handmaiden said. "She was going to _kill_ me. She almost _did_. And I have you to thank."

She was looking directly at him. Seth looked up to find her unbelievably close to his face. "Nobody gets left behind." He finished wrapping and stood.

"What…where is Atris?" she asked.

"In her meditation chamber," Seth said, "with her darkness round her. She will come in time."

Then there was a silence where both stared at the floor.

"I am a Jedi now, aren't I?" The Handmaiden asked slowly.

Seth nodded. "Yes. You no longer serve Atris."

"If that may be, then I am the last of the handmaidens no longer." She breathed and talked slowly. "I am Brianna, disciple and servant of the last of the true Jedi."

"Brianna?"

"That is my name," she said. "I had a name since my mother was a Jedi…"

Seth grinned. "It's good to hear it."

"It is," she said, realizing it actually was true. "I have a _name_ and will not go by 'the Handmaiden' any longer. Please tell the rest of the crew to call me Brianna; introduce me as Brianna."

Seth smiled and just nodded. "You know I will." Brianna opened her mouth to discuss something else when Bao-Dur appeared in the doorway.

"We're on Citadel," he said and hurried away, still with his hydrospanner in his hand. "Good," Seth said, "thanks Bao." He spoke to air.

He turned to Brianna. "Stay here and rest," he said. "You aren't up for a fight now."

Brianna stood instantly. "No," she objected. "I'm coming with." The tone of her voice was fierce.

"Rest until you are ready to fight," Seth said. "Your wound on your wrist is going to hurt later. And you must be weak after that Force Lightning. That always tires out the best of the Jedi Masters."

Brianna seemed a bit silent at this. "Sorry," Seth said quickly. The betrayal and attack of her mistress obviously left her somewhat in shock. "Stay," he instructed, "and just wait for whatever comes. Sometimes that's just best."

"You comin' Seth?" he heard Atton yell. "See you when I get back, alright?" Seth said to Brianna. She gave a sheepish grin and watched him leave.

* * *

"I couldn't _believe_ when I got the report saying the Ebon Hawk had docked on Citadel again," Grenn said, "I just _couldn't_." He surveyed the group of dysfunctional looking crewmates with lightsabers. "We need you, and you certainly come up when trouble's coming."

"Going to lock us up again?" Atton asked. Mira kicked his shin; Seth cast him a shut-up look. "What's the situation?" Seth asked.

"They came out of nowhere," Grenn said, ignoring Atton, "and without fuel from Peragus, we can't operate fully. We've had to make cutbacks."

_Please don't bring _that_ up again_, Seth thought. "I need to get aboard the Ravenger."

"Good luck," Grenn said. "The shuttles are on the other side of the entertainment module."

"Then that's where we're going," Seth said. He turned to his Padawans. "All of you...just remember the forms and training we've gone over. Don't kill the others, and most importantly—"

"Have fun?" Mandalore interrupted. The entire group turned and stared. It was probably the first time he'd talked in front of the group in a sarcastic manner. Seth grinned at this. "Sure."

He ignited his lightsaber, and then the other Jedi did so. _The future Jedi_. Seth couldn't help but think that. He turned to see them: Mira, Atton, Bao-Dur, and Visas. They all stared blankly, faces awaiting command. Seth nodded his head towards the doorway towards the residential module.

The small group of Jedi and the Mandalorian were fighting their way through the Sith assassins. The carnage was the foulest part of the strike. Robes were bloodied, bodies lay in piles.

"Bao-Dur, take out that guy on the left," Seth shouted. Bao-Dur didn't respond as he sprinted towards a Sith assassin, lightsaber out in front of him. He instantly cut him down. The rage and guilt of Malachor V dominated Bao-Dur; Seth could tell. He believed that drove Bao-Dur through everyday, and that's what glued the hydrospanner to his hands.

Seth stood back and watched the Jedi make their way to the next door. "Awaiting command," someone said behind him. It was Brianna. Her hand was still bandaged, and she held a blue lightsaber in the other.

"What are you doing out of the Hawk?" Seth said in a bit too loud of a tone. "_Rest_, damn it. Isn't that what I said!"

"I couldn't stand by and let Telos be destroyed when I can aid. Remember what I told you when I wanted to become a Jedi? That I must if I can aid the effort _somehow_? I need—no, I _must_—contribute and fight with you," she said.

Seth rolled his eyes. "Hang back though," he said. Brianna nodded and they ran together forward to join the group at the door.

"What's the Handmaiden doing here? I thought she was injured," Mira said.

"Actually, this is Brianna," Seth said. "She's got a name."

"_Brianna_?" Atton asked. "Why not just tell us your name and skip this awkward re-introduction?"

He was ignored though as Seth walked forwards a bit into the entertainment module. He nodded his head for the group to follow. They went into the TSF.

Naturally, a lot of Sith assassins hit the TSF first. There was a lot to clean out, but nothing too taxing on the group. After the bloodbath, they studied their robes.

"What a mess," Mira said looking at her robes. "And I just washed these damn things too."

Visas had remained quiet the entire time and she expressed nothing save the small, quiet smile upon her lips.

"This is where we board," Mandalore said. "This area's secure so we can go ahead and get on the shuttle, and it's _finally_ here anyway."

"Okay, you guys can go back to the ship. Mandalore and I will get aboard and take her out," Seth said. He looked directly at Visas. "I'll see you all when I get back."

The group started to disperse in the general direction of the Ebon Hawk except for Visas. "I'm coming with you."

"What?" Seth turned. He was halfway to the shuttle.

"I _need_ to go. It is something I must do," she said. "I must find peace finally in all of this. I must find something."

"Objections?" Seth asked, turning to Mandalore.

"None, as long as she doesn't slow us down," he said.

"Good," Seth said. "Hurry up."

* * *

Fire surrounded the trio as it danced and created shadows upon the rusting ship that deserved to be space junk. Seth led the small group about the ship, knowing that there were four sites where Mandalore was planting explosives to blow the ship up into space junk.

He led the small band of allies through out the ship, clearing out all enemies on their way. They reached the first target site and Mandalore planted the explosives. There was absolutely no conversation. Seth watched Telos outside a broken wall—Citadel Station was maintaining its orbit round Telos, but just barely. Starfighters from Telos were in the mess, and the bombardment of Citadel would not stop.

"All set," Mandalore said as he stood up from the small bomb. They made their way to the door, and out to the second target site.

All of a sudden, a large beam fell as if out of nowhere right behind Seth. It had just missed him by a few inches. He froze. _Foreshadowing_.

* * *

Hope it doesn't suck out loud so far. I'm estimating three chapters: finishing up the Ravenger, Malachor V, and then a little aftermath blurb. 


	11. The Ravenger

"We've reached the third target site," Mandalore said. He placed the small bomb in a pile of wreckage.

There was a sudden buzz on his comlink. "Mandalore, sir," the Mandalorian began. "One of the bombs exploded."

Mandalore didn't want the details—he snapped the comlink off. "Damn," he said. "We've gotta get another bomb."

"There is a room for torpedoes," Visas said. "We can get one there." "Good thing she's here," Mandalore said to Seth. But Seth was staring at the floor, lost in thought.

Visas took the lead and started towards the room. She ran the entire way there, as if to clear up this before they went to the bridge.

When the reached the room, there was a torpedo on a small cart. Small parts and wreckage littered the floor, and broken computer terminals were on the walls. Mandalore stepped up to the torpedo and carefully opened it. He removed the warhead and cradled it in his metallic, rusty arms.

"We're walking slower," he said as he stared at the device in his arms. The group followed Mandalore to the last target site.

Seth and Visas stood idly in the hallway as Mandalore pieced together a makeshift bomb using wires and a signaling device. _Good thing he carries spare parts_, Seth thought. It was almost too convenient, like he knew the incompetence of his own men. After Mandalore stood up, Visas wordlessly began to lead.

She stopped suddenly at a door. "Where are we?" Seth asked. "My old cell," Visas said. "May I find my peace?" Seth nodded and she walked inside, only the sound of her feet making noise.

Visas left the door open, and both men could see she was meditating, trying to calm herself. As they boarded and walked about, Seth felt her unrest, her anger. He watched her meditate, and could feel the pain easing away from the place he was standing. It was if standing in the presence of her shedding her pain made him shed a bit of his.

She turned after a few long moments and said, "I am ready." Then she took the lead again and began the route to the bridge, passing doors and holes of the Mandalorian Wars on the ship. Visas walked slow, and eventually stopped walking at a door in the center of the ship.

"He is inside," she said. "You can always go…" Seth shook his head. "No, I must face him."

He opened the door and saw the bridge fully: computer terminals were in an area that could be described as a dugout on either sides of a walkway. There was a gigantic hole in the very front of the bridge, and that was where Visas's master stood. He had a mask of white and red, and his head shaped like a square. His body was covered in a black cloak that seemed to be custom made, or that it was all he was.

Seth took defiant steps forward, staring at the Sith Lord way away from where the door was. He waited for Visas and Mandalore to flank his left and right before continuing. The computer terminals had what looked like Sith assassins on them, but none of them even flinched or looked at Seth when he passed them by.

The Sith Lord set out his hand and Seth's mind began to spin, his senses numbed. "I've come…to stop you," he said. "You…filthy bastard." Seth was unable to draw his lightsaber. His hands were totally disabled and his head felt like it was being put in sleep mood as if he were a droid.

The Sith Lord said something inaudible, slurred. Seth guessed his words meant nothing, and he could not speak proper Galactic Basic. Visas said something that he could not understand, then Mandalore. _What's going on_? Seth's mind was going absolutely numb.

He saw shapes—the back outline of the Sith Lord and the wreckage of the ship behind him and a large, orange circle that was Telos. Visas said something again, and he saw her reddish outline come into view. Her lightsaber struck her master's, and she was pushed back a few feet, knocked right into Seth. The two toppled over and she fell right next to him.

Things then became a bit sharper for Seth and he could move his hands slowly. _Fight it_, something told him. And he did that. Every move was a struggle, like weights had been suddenly strapped to his hands and he could not move them. His head swayed a last time before he regained control of it, and then his hands became his again, which instantly grabbed and engaged his lightsaber.

"This ends here," he told Visas's old master. The Sith Lord was tall in his dark cloak wrapped expertly round him. The mask was embedded in the cloth, and his rectangular shaped head was pointed at Seth. He thrust his lightsaber at Seth and set up his hand. Seth felt Force Lightning through his body and he was disabled for a brief moment before realizing the technique: the Sith Lord would use Force Lightning to disable him and then strike.

The second time the Sith Lord put up his hand, Seth was ready. He resisted barely and struck while his hand was in the air. Seth struck at his hand and sliced it clean from the Sith. A squeal of inaudible words came from him and he doubled his efforts on Seth. He set up his hand again and drained energy from Seth, who was immediately weakened. He went back a few steps before more of the feat came upon him. The orangish light emanated from the Sith's hand lashed out at Seth who, weakened by the sudden burst, dropped his lightsaber which sent the blade back into the hilt immediately, and fell to the ground. But the Sith did not stop. Seth crumbled up his body, hoping for a shield.

He set out his hand to throw Force Lightning, but he was too weak. Then, he suddenly turned away and he heard the orangish light being carried out on Visas, who let out a sharp cry as she went to the floor just as he did.

Seth stood, and set out his hand and pushed the Sith back. He now could do Force Lightning, which he did mercilessly on the Sith. "Do you damn Sith ever learn?" he bellowed at the weakened Sith Lord. He had been weakened a bit, and Seth summoned his lightsaber, which obediently came right to his hand.

The hilt came out and made the famous whirring noise as Seth swung it at the Sith. He kicked where he guessed the knees were, and the crumbled tyrant buckled. Seth thrust his lightsaber at him, but it was suddenly thrown back and the Sith stood. Seth ran after his lightsaber in fear of his power when Visas ran by him. Mandalore, in the mess, was far away with his Clan Ordo blaster.

"He is too strong," she said. "I will run on his left and you may strike from the right." Seth stared. "But you'll die," he said. She looked sober. "I know that," she said softly. Then she looked up at him, and Seth could feel her featureless eyes staring at him as if she could see. "When I say my life for yours I mean it."

Seth picked up his lightsaber. "I won't allow you to kill yourself for me." "No," she said. "I _want_ to die for you." Seth looked at her. "Visas, redemption isn't on a life-for-a-life basis. It's what you do that atones for your past." She seemed to ponder these words while Seth said, "Now help me, otherwise we'll all die."

Seth got a head start and began to charge head on towards the Sith Lord. He threw his lightsaber with so much emotion, so much force. It bounced off of the Sith and returned to Seth's hand, who sprinted forward and plunged the lightsaber at the Sith. The Sith parried this, and Visas, as almost as if she knew what Seth was going to do, struck from behind and sliced him with her lightsaber.

The Sith let out another holler, the same as when he lost his hand, but more high pitched and deafening to the ears. Seth wanted to cover his, but resisted the desire to as he gave a kick at where the knees were. Both his lightsabers out, he struck again and again at the Sith's arms, hearing the screams again and again. Visas began to strike his legs, and Mandalore kept charging his blaster and aiming for his chest.

The Sith Lord set up his hand and cast a Force Lightning at Visas that was so power it knocked off her feet and she skidded backwards a few meters. She made no movements. "Visas!" Seth cried. She made no movements, and he attacked harder.

Eventually he fell upon his hands and knees and Seth lowered Master Vash's lightsaber to his neck. Wordlessly, he threw his lightsaber through the Sith and through his body a few more times to insure he was dead.

Seth walked on Citadel to see the bodies of the Sith Assassins being hauled away on numerous stretchers towards the airlocks to be thrown onto a transport to go to the planet's surface to be burned. Visas had been carried by Mandalore and Seth on a makeshift stretcher made out of part of the ship's wall torn off from the bridge.

Lieutenant Grenn suddenly approached Seth with two TSF officers behind him armed with blaster rifles. "Sir, Admiral Onasi requests your audience." He spoke professionally. _Admiral Onasi_? "Did he say about what?" Seth asked. _What would he want with me_? "…concerning a…"—he paused to recollect the moment where he'd been given orders—"…'mutual acquaintance' I believe is how he put it." Seth sighed. "Very well, lead on." He turned to Mandalore. "Go back to the Hawk and just…wait for me there."

Seth followed Grenn to the Ithorian Compound. Admiral Onasi was staring out the window, obviously looking at what would've been dust in space. "I owe you Telos," he said. "Thank you."

"Is that all, admiral?" Seth asked, eager to leave. Something about this place gave him a melancholy feeling. "Well, no," Onasi said. "I read you were sentenced by the Jedi and that you were exiled. You traveled on the Outer Rim during your exile, and, I ask you, did you find _any_ trace of Revan?" _Revan_?

"No," Seth said simply. The admiral's face fell. "How do you know Revan?" asked Seth.

"Revan and I met on the Endar Spire," he began and he told him the story. He and Revan had met up with Jedi Bastila Shan, Juhani, and Jolee Bindo, Mandalorian Canderous Ordo, Twi'lek Mission Vao, Wookiee Zaalbar, two droids, and himself and chased Star Maps across the galaxy that lead to the Star Forge, Malak's secret weapon. Revan defeated the Sith from there, and had returned to Telos, but he had left just four years ago.

"You arrived on Revan's ship, did you not?" the admiral asked. Seth stared. "Revan's ship?" The admiral nodded. "Yes, wherever your ship's been, Revan's been there too." He suddenly turned when a woman of about twenty approached him. She was wearing Jedi robes and her brown hair was tied back in a curious style. Her spoke, her voice accented: "Hello. I am Bastila Shan." The admiral properly introduced Seth and Bastila before standing aside.

"So you were exiled?" Bastila asked. She seemed fascinated, but Seth knew she wasn't. He was just the bearer of bad news. She kept staring out the window. Seth knew what was going through her mind. "You love him, didn't you?" he asked quietly, "and now that he's gone away you don't know anything—when he's coming back or where he even is right now." Bastila's only reply was a look. She looked at him right away as he continued: "You think that he's gone, don't you? But you _know_ he's not dead. You can feel it." She seemed somewhat enlightened. "That is correct," she said, turning to him. "I have to go," he said. "Nice to meet you." They shook hands, exchanged forced smiles, and Seth departed.

His slow paced walk back to the Ebon Hawk seemed to go by quickly, despite he didn't want it to. He was worried about Visas, but knew that she would survive. Seth walked aboard the Ebon Hawk and immediately went to the cockpit.

Atton was sitting idly in the pilot's chair, throwing Pazaak cards round on the controls. Seth wordlessly punched in the coordinates of the next destination: Malachor V. "Just put her in hyperspace and come get me when we arrive," he instructed. Atton didn't reply, he was too weary to argue. He just fired up the engines and took off from the small landing pad in Citadel Station.


	12. Malachor V and Epilogue

"Is everyone okay?" Seth said. The calamity of the Ebon Hawk's crash had left the crew with minor cuts and some bruises. Visas had been hauled out of the medbay and was now laying on the ground. Brianna was leaning up against a rock next to Mira. They both had a various number of bandages round them. Atton was sitting on the surface and was coughing every once and awhile. Bao-Dur and his Remote were sitting staring at the Ebon Hawk, seeing their hard efforts of repairing the skip in vain. T3 beeped slightly, and HK-47 surveyed the landscape silently. G0-T0 was nowhere to be seen.

Getting no reply, Seth stared at the Ebon Hawk. _Let's hope Bao-Dur can get it up and running_. Then he stared about Malachor V, the memories beginning to surface once again. "I'm going to go…" Seth said. "…exploring." None of them moved or commented.

He turned and went, stepping gingerly over green-lighted cracks in the surface.

_Where am I going_? Seth thought immediately. He heard the distant rumble. _Aren't these damn things dead yet_? He drew his lightsaber and a storm beast appeared and it fell moments later.

Seth did not disengage his lightsaber. He kept it at the ready and began to run. _Oh where am I going_? He took a left at a fork. _I have no idea what to do once I get where I want to go, and I don't even _know_ where I want to go. I could be going in circles for all I know, and the crew needs me shortly. Oh this is risky business, but I came here and there's obviously no way off of this hellish planet if I don't find something, someone, or _anything_ quickly_!

He began to sprint in random directions, noticing he was not going in circles. Evading storm beasts and jumping over greenish cracks, he eventually came to a lookout cliff to see a strange door sitting in the middle of a large clearing from rocks. _An academy_? Seth thought, knowing what it was instantly.

He rummaged through his pack until he found an item he'd bought on Nar Shadda for only thirty credits that had to prove itself still: a grapple. He secured the hook and rope to a rock and tied it round just to make sure it wouldn't fall or come loose. He then, holding onto the gun, lowered himself down the cliff and to the outside of the academy. He set the grapple gun behind a number of rocks, gathering some to cover it up.

Seth stared at the academy, and admired it. The outside funneled in to a door, which was quite a spectacular sight. He quickly snapped out of his fascination and headed towards the inside.

The bodies of numerous Sith assassins lay round Seth. His robes covered in blood, his eyes weary. He took a step forward and pushed aside a body with his foot. He slid along the wall to the floor. He'd worked his way through room after room of Sith assassins and unmasked civilian-appearing Sith with lightsabers. Their faces had the taint of the dark side on them, and they couldn't speak Basic. They'd grunted and gnarled at him, but that was it.

He'd been away for what seemed hours. _Please let everyone just be okay_, he thought, thinking of Visas. He had no idea what the Sith Lord on the Ravenger had done to her to cause _this_ much damage.

Seth let out a small sigh, knowing he had to continue. He closed his eyes briefly and breathed through his nostrils. The academy smelled like old books and stone.

He stood up. The thought of confronting Kreia in the academy gave him the chills, since she was a powerful Sith. She, undoubtedly, had the ability to manipulate the mind and control normal objects to do her bidding.

_The pathway is illuminated_, he thought, _and now I've got to follow it to one piece of my destiny_. He blinked a few times. _What was _that_? Am I a Jedi now_?

Disregarding this, he continued to walk slowly over the bodies of Sith he'd slain. He continued down a hallway and through a few other empty rooms that he had cleared out.

His strategy was to lay a series of mines in a path, lure the Sith along the mines, and then have them be weakened so they were more easily killed. Once a room was cleared he work his way to the next.

He expected another room full of Sith, so he laid out his mines, being sure that he set each one carefully so it wouldn't explode when he was round it.

Seth made his way to the door and walked inside to see no Sith, but the Sith _Lord_ from Korriban and Peragus, Darth Sion.

"_What_?" Seth said. _How the hell did he get here_? Sion got up from his meditations.

"You have come," he said. "She has said that you are strong, but I am stronger." He immediately drew his lightsaber. _So much for negotiations_. "None of your little assassin buddies to help you out?" Seth asked tauntingly.

He laughed a bit. "Dark side, light side. Whatever you call yourself." _What am I saying? This is just all…I dunno, but it's not really true. Is it just wasting time_?

"_Now_," the Sith Lord said. He stepped up to Seth, who was dwarfed in comparison. His grey appearing skin smelled of bodies and his one functional eye was focused on Seth. It was a bit bloodshot.

Seth got into a ready position with his lightsabers out. _Hopefully a part of Master Vash still lives in her lightsaber_, Seth thought, knowing he'd need a Jedi master to help him defeat a Sith so power as Sion.

Sion drew up lightsaber and swung at Seth, who parried it and swung with his other lightsaber. Dodging each other's swings and trying to have the other retreat, Sion and Seth continued to fight.

Seth got bruised on a few occasions when Sion knocked him to the floor with his foot, and Sion was weakened when Seth's lightsaber cut his leg.

Seth grew tired, and Sion could feel it and Seth knew this. His blows began to get less powerful and his reflexes less quick. _He's good_.

Eventually, Sion began to tire. His hand faltered a bit, and Seth noticed this. He focused everything on working Sion's hands until they were so tired. And it worked. He kicked the lightsaber from Sion's hands and began to kick his face with his boot.

Seth dug his lightsaber into Sion's flesh, which let out an eerie, disturbing sound and odor. But as if powered but some kind of recharging force, Sion knocked Seth off of him and sucked in energy.

"Fool," he said. "_No one_ can beat me where the dark side is strong." Seth studied him for a few seconds, trying to figure out something to respond with.

"What _is_ the dark side?" he challenged almost too casually. "Is it just fueled by anger, lust, and pride?" Sion had his stare fixated on Seth, his one, blood-shot eye still craving to see Seth dead.

"Surely you can't think she _means_ for you to succeed," Seth taunted, hoping this would wear down Sion. "She won't treat you differently."

"You are a fool," Sion said. "She will honor me." Seth stared at him. "I'm getting sick of fighting Sith Lords," he said and cast Force Lightning on Sion.

He retreated back a few steps and recovered, casting it on Seth. Seth drew his lightsabers and resisted as best as he could. He took Master Vash's blade and began to fight forward against the lightning. He got within three meters of Sion before he drew his blade and they were fighting again.

Seth pushed Sion back into the wall and charged forward, ready to deliver final blows. But Sion resisted half, since this was unexpected.

It seemed forever until Sion was in the disabled state again, his lightsaber knocked a few meters away. "Give it up," Seth said in the most mocking of tones he could make. "She won't accept you." He had no idea what he was talking about.

"And that is where you are wrong," Sion said defiantly. "Am I?" Seth said quickly. "You have a lot of confidence in her. She is a traitor, and that is what she forever will be. And what makes you think you can gain prestige and honor with one such as her?" The words flowed magically, like the Force controlled his speech for a moment.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Seth thrust Master Vash's lightsaber across Sion's arms and then raised it to his throat. "You will burn here in this academy as will she," he said, not allowing Sion to respond or call upon the dark side. He severed his throat, and the scene seemed a bit too graphic for even Seth.

He stepped away and looked at his doings. _He's gone_. Seth moved on.

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Kreia gave him a wry smile. "You have come, haven't you?" _No, I haven't and this is just a hologram of me_. Seth couldn't help his thoughts. _She lied to everyone—especially Brianna_.

"I'm standing in front of you, aren't I?" Seth looked at her with a twinge of malice. There was a few seconds of silence. _She's smiling…_ "You lied to us," Seth said. "You lied to everyone."

"Telling what is the truth all the time is a weakness," she said. "Now come, Exile, and we shall settle this."

But Seth's lightsabers were already drawn. He struck hard at Kreia, despite his fight with Sion. She seemingly effortlessly parried all of his moves and forms.

He retreated and she chuckled. "You have learned well," she said. "Now I shall truly test you."

Suddenly, four red lightsabers came from as if out of the air. They ignited and all went for Seth. Kreia sat back as Seth struck each.

He managed to disable two right at the beginning by cutting the hilt into halves. But the other two were more difficult.

They each attacked independently, meaning Seth's two lightsabers were cutting through the air like mad. His arms began to grow a bit tired, but he had to keep parrying the lightsabers. Then he noticed Kreia—she was unarmed.

_If I could throw a lightsaber at her so she can stop controlling the lightsabers, maybe I can get both of them_. It was a risky gamble, but Seth knew he had to take it. He moved his hand round the hilt of his lightsaber and threw it at Kreia.

Dodging and retreating several meters back, he watched it hit her and the lightsabers temporarily fell to the ground. He cut both of them in half and threw them into the abyss. Kreia reached for hers but Seth shot it out of her hands. _No_.

He gave her an icy stare and Force Jumped right to her and began to slice at random and he eventually got her on the ground, Master Vash's lightsaber at her throat.

"You have done greater than_ any_ I have ever trained," she said. Seth stared at her, still an icy stare. "Let me give you one last gift…" She paused. "From one exile, to another."

Seth nodded and she stood up, his lightsaber still at her throat. "What of the future?" Seth asked. "What will happen to my—the people I walk with?"

"Ah," Kreia said thoughtfully. "You know them, but you have no idea what they will encounter." She paused again. "The huntress will stop killing her life and finally live it. She will realize what you have turned her into, and what you've taught her. She will return to her home and miss you and think of you often." She continued: "The servant girl will return to her home and aid her former mistress. The Handmaiden will—" "Her name is Brianna," Seth breathed. "_Brianna_ will," Kreia said a bit irritably, "learn from you. You have taught her more about herself than you have about the Force. The blinded one will find peace, but she knows that you are the one who aided her on her journey." "Will she live?" Seth asked. "She will survive this day," Kreia said, "if this is what you ask. But tomorrow is another day she will survive until she runs out of tomorrows. The Mandalorian will survive his many battles until his body cannot live on stimulants and his armor he so desperately clings to as he does to the promise of Revan's return."

"Revan?" Seth asked. _How does Revan fit with Mandalore_? "You do not know? Revan and the Mandalorian were on a crew, bound by the promise of returning light to the galaxy." Kreia continued: "Bao-Dur and the droids…I am not certain of them. They will live for a more time but other than that I cannot see for their futures have been clouded over. And, last, we have Atton—the fool. He will always remember what you turned him into, but he will never forget his past. His path will be of a wanted-redemption that he will feel he never quite achieved."

"What of the galaxy?" Seth asked. "The galaxy…it shall die, and then become reborn as the Republic shall, but the Mandalorians shall not. They have seen their day, and no more shall come. The planets you have set foot on in our travels together will have the life brought back to them."

Kreia stared at him. "You have a choice to make," she said. "And you know what I speak of. You have decisions to make daily, but this one will affect not only your future but the ones around you. But just remember Revan's path."

"Revan," Seth said again. "Where is he?" "I do not know," Kreia said. "He went into the Unknown Regions, which I feel is where you are beckoned too. But just know that Revan took no one he loved with him."

_Love_… The word echoed in Seth's mind. "My body is ailing," Kreia said. "You might as well end my life so you can return to your—_Padawans_." _Gladly_.

Seth drew up his lightsaber and plunged it through Kreia's stomach and pushed her body into the abyss.

The glow of Master Vash's lightsaber and the light hum were the only things in the academy that seemed to be alive, save Seth. _She can live on. Even though she is dead, her lightsaber will still be in the hands of a Jedi. _Visas's words returned to him. Vash really did live on, and she was the one who killed Kreia. Because, after all, Jedi were bonded (or married, as said by Atton) to their lightsaber. It empowers Jedi and is a symbol of both Light and Dark. He studied the hilt and still saw burn marks from the Korriban academy.

_In the hands of a Jedi…am I a Jedi now? I've got some of the cryptic speech down_, Seth thought and smiled. _Smiling? I've just killed a betrayer and a Sith Lord, so why not_?

With that he turned and walked out of the academy, never knowing its name.

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Epilogue

_Dear Journal,_

_Yes I've actually started a journal. This is only entry number one. First off, this journal was a going away present from Atton and Mira—apparently they're going back to Nar Shadda within the next few days. I thought I saw them holding hands earlier but it might've been my imagination. _

_Today we had _another_ banquet for the Republic. We're still on Telos, but I would've probably griped about space travel if we went anywhere else. It seems that being a makeshift hero ever since Revan left has got its perks. I had some Tarisian ale last night, despite Taris was blown up by Malak about four years ago. That is some good ale, despite its rarity nowadays._

_I gave T3-M4 to Bao-Dur. The little guy always seemed to love working with Bao, and it was the same vice versa. I tried to get HK-47 to go with, but Bao-Dur "nicely declined". The G0-T0 has been missing since Malachor, but he's not really missed. Mandalore went back to his Mandalorian camp on Dxun yesterday afternoon. But he had a history with Revan…and I could've asked him so many questions, but no need wishing for what's not here. Brianna is staying on Telos, just as Kreia said. She's returning to the academy via shuttle in a couple of days. It's hard to see everyone go, especially since that last party. And then there's Visas. I've persuaded her to at least get the apartment next to mine and we frequently go on walks together just reminiscing and talking about the Force. She can be pretty stubborn and opinionated if you catch her off guard, and she even called herself a "slave girl" once! And, of course, I will never let her forget it._

_Telos has been going fine since the Ithorians took over the Restoration Project. Everything is so green now, and the planet looks pretty good. (I visited it as a "guest of the Republic" a few days ago). It's pretty late, and I've got to get up early. Visas likes early walks. _

_But the one thing I can't stop thinking about is what Kreia said. How I can't take anyone I love with me where Revan went. I often think of this late at night and wonder if I want to help Revan, but he's a friend—a good friend from way back—that I know I just have to help. Or if I don't I'll have all the admirals (especially Admiral Onasi) crawling up my ion engine to find out when I'm leaving. But I like it here on Telos. I might settle down here after…well, after this—whatever this actually is. I still have yet to figure out a different number of things. _

_I still have Master Vash's lightsaber. I think of it and will always remember Visas's words: She can live on. Even though she is dead, her lightsaber will still be in the hands of a Jedi. Those words, I think, (and I hope) will remain with me until the day I die. They'd be interesting last words, wouldn't they? _

_It's late. Until tomorrow…_

_Seth_


End file.
